Green card holders in the United States risk losing their legal status if they commit a crime, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez. This comes after the detention of Filipina Lewelyn Dixon, who has lived in the US for 50 years.
Romualdez explained that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is ramping up its crackdown on illegal immigrants, prioritizing those with criminal records. ICE data shows that in President Donald Trump’s first 50 days in office, 32,809 migrants were detained—half of whom were convicted criminals.
“Ang inuuna nila ‘yung mga criminals, ‘yung merong mga criminal case,” Romualdez said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. Even green card holders can be deported if convicted of a crime. “Pwedeng i-cancel ang green card na ‘yan,” he warned.
Dixon was detained by ICE while returning to Seattle from the Philippines. Her lawyer, Benjamin Osorio, said she has a single non-violent conviction for embezzlement in 2001, for which she served 30 days in a halfway house and paid a fine. “It was the travel that triggered the issue,” he explained.
Romualdez urged undocumented Filipinos to voluntarily leave and legalize their stay properly. He warned that US agencies now share data, making it harder for “TNT” (tago nang tago) immigrants to avoid detection.
“Mahirap ang buhay na nagtatago ka… Para ka nang prisoner niyan,” he said. He also noted that ICE often receives tips from the community, leading to arrests and deportations.
The Philippine Embassy has set up 24/7 hotlines to assist Filipinos facing immigration issues. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs advises Filipinos in the US to stay “low key” and work on securing legal status to avoid deportation.