The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday said it will provide the necessary support to undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United States, who are affected by the ongoing mass deportation of the Trump administration.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency is closely working with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to set up support mechanisms.
These include financial aid, medical services, and legal assistance through the Aksyon Fund and the Emergency Repatriation Fund to ensure that deported individuals receive immediate access to essential services upon returning to the Philippines.
The move was made following the arrest of a Filipino who was among the individuals arrested in the large-scale immigration operations by US federal authorities across multiple locations in Los Angeles, California.
The DMW said at least 370,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants in the US may be affected by the ongoing crackdown.
The DMW’s action comes as President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered all relevant government agencies to assist Filipinos living and working in the US amid the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles, California.
California is home to millions of migrant workers, including Filipino-American communities.
“President Marcos has instructed that assistance be provided to every Filipino affected, especially those who live or work abroad,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in Filipino during a press briefing.
“However, they are also reminded to comply with the laws in their country of residence,” Castro added.
Unrest in Los Angeles intensified this week after President Donald Trump deployed members of the National Guard and the US Marines to contain ongoing protests against his immigration policies.
