By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., and American President Donald J. Trump are unlikely to tackle deportation-related issues concerning overseas Filipinos in the US, Manila’s envoy to Washington said on Sunday, as the second Trump administration intensifies crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said the two leaders would probably not talk about Mr. Trump’s signature program against illegal immigrants, as the envoy had already talked with the US Department of Homeland Security on cooperation.

“As I’ve always said, those who have a legal path should have already contacted the immigration lawyers,” he told a press briefing late Sunday (Manila time), according to a video posted by the Radio, Television Malacañang on YouTube.

As Mr. Trump ramps up deportations under his “America First” agenda, the deportation of undocumented Filipinos risks rippling through the Philippine economy, where millions depend on remittances to survive.

In the first five months of the year, cash remittances grew by 3% to $13.77 billion from $13.37 billion a year prior.

Around two-fifths of the Philippines’ remittance flows come from the US, with the latest central bank data showing that the US was the top source of remittances in the five-month period, accounting for 40.2% of the total.

“The bottom line is there is really not much room for discussion, but to simply work in such a way that all Filipinos are up for deportation will be deported to the Philippines and not to another country,” the envoy added.

This comes as Mr. Marcos visits the American capital for an official trip, the first Southeast Asian leader to meet with Mr. Trump after assuming office last January. The Filipino leader will be in the US until July 22.

Mr. Romualdez noted that Filipino-American lawyers are also extending their services to aid Filipinos up for deportation.

According to the envoy, while there is no exact number on how many Filipinos may be deported, the figure is “perhaps a little less than 100,000.”

“But again, these are confidential matters that the Homeland Security and the US immigration only inform us about when they see that it’s important for the Philippine Embassy to work with them on how we can repatriate the Filipinos,” he added.

“At the end of the day, the laws of the United States must be respected, just like we expect citizens who come to the Philippines to also respect our laws.”

An estimated 4.6 million people in the US identified as Filipino in 2023, according to estimates published by the US Census Bureau. Filipino-Americans are the third-largest Asian origin population living in the US, accounting for approximately 19% of the country’s Asian population.

The Philippine government has urged the US government to deport undocumented Filipinos directly back to the Philippines and not to third countries like El Salvador, with Mr. Romualdez stressing that the Philippines is willing to accept all its nationals.

According to the Philippine envoy, around 100 to 300 Filipinos have been deported from the US so far this year, with some cases involving allegations of criminal activity.

APPEASING TRUMP
Josue Raphael J. Cortez, who teaches diplomacy at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said that Mr. Marcos’ possible decision to avoid discussing deportation issues reflects a form of appeasement, as his government focuses on negotiating lower US tariffs.

This approach exemplifies transactional diplomacy, prioritizing economic concerns while steering clear of topics like illegal migration that Mr. Trump is sensitive about, he added.

“We are trying to negotiate for something and given that Trump has been wary of illegal migrants and the Philippine government is already doing something about it, then we now opt to bring other relevant and pressing matters to the negotiating table,” he said via Messenger chat.

Washington earlier this month slapped Manila with an unexpected 20% tariff, higher than the “Liberation Day” levy of 17%. Mr. Marcos, joined by a Philippine delegation, is currently in Washington to negotiate the duties, as well as explore business opportunities for the country.