Romualdez says most from California, New York, New Jersey

An unidentified number of Filipinos are up for deportation as the Trump administration starts its massive campaign against illegal aliens in the United States.

In an interview on Saturday, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Romualdez said “a number of Filipinos” – newly arrived ones in the US – have already been informed that they are set for deportation.

He said they would be among the first deportees under the second Trump administration, which has promised to mount massive arrests and deportation of illegal immigrants.

He said there is no information about the number, the current status, or the date of deportation but most of them are from California, New York, and New Jersey.

“I don’t know what status it is right now, but I keep on saying the same thing – if there is no legal path, my suggestion is voluntary departure,” he said.

“If they have a legal path, then they should find an immigration lawyer or somebody that can help them file a case because they have rights for their case to be heard,” Romualdez added, addressing those who went to the US on a work visa that expired.

The US Department of Homeland Security this week announced a nationwide ad campaign warning illegal aliens to leave the US now or face deportation with the inability to return.

Earlier, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said the government could tap the department’s Assistance to Nationals fund, as well as the Department of Migrant Workers’ Aksyon Fund, which is used for legal, medical, financial, and other forms of assistance for overseas Filipino workers.

In November, the DMW said it would assist over 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US who are at risk of being deported.