MANILA — Twenty-four Filipinos in the US were recently deported for alleged illegal activities, while around 80 others were up for deportation, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Monday. 

Most of the 24 Filipinos were allegedly involved in “some petty crimes”, Romualdez told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

“Iyang 24 na ‘yan, reported to us. Pero ini-process ‘yan even during the time of Biden pa. In other words, bago pa umupo si President Trump, na-process na ‘yan and they already deported them,” he said. 

“There are about 80 more that also have been processed that are up for deportation,” he added.

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Romualdez said the US would prioritize the deportation of around 1.3 million immigrants who have already been processed and those with alleged links to criminal activities and gangs.  

“Basta nand’yan ka na sa lista ng deportation process, talagang tuloy-tuloy na ‘yan. Kaya it is best na at this time, kung talagang walang pag-asa na you’ll be given a legal path, better to voluntarily leave para hindi ka na malista, you’ll be listed as those that have been deported,” the ambassador said.

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Meanwhile, some employers are helping undocumented Filipino immigrant workers secure legal status, he said.

“Their employer can actually sponsor them. Pero yung mga iba na pumasok dito as tourist, medyo mahihirapan sila… Kaya lagi namin ina-advise sa kanila, kumuha sila ng tamang abogado,” Romualdez said. 

“Marami tayong mga abogadong Filipino Americans, nag-volunteer na sila sa mga konsulado natin at handa silang magbigay ng information kung papaano nila puwedeng matulungan.”

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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday advised Filipinos in the United States to stay “low key” and work on legalizing their stay to avoid deportation amid the Trump administration’s fresh crackdown on illegal migrants.

“‘Yung mga overstaying Filipinos… maybe it is best to be low profile and not join rallies,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said in a news forum.

Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration during the election campaign and began his second term with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling entry to the United States.

On his first day in office he signed orders declaring a "national emergency" at the southern US border and announced the deployment of more troops to the area while vowing to deport "criminal aliens."

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Several deportation flights since Monday have garnered public and media attention, though such actions were also common under previous US presidents.

In a break with prior practice, however, the Trump administration has begun using military aircraft for repatriation flights, with at least one landing in Guatemala this week.

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse