Condemn the Fascist Assault on Filipino Migrants and Racialized Communities in the U.S.

The return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency marks a dangerous escalation in the fascist assault on immigrant and migrant communities, with Filipino migrants among the most vulnerable targets. Trump’s administration has doubled down on mass deportations, workplace raids, and harsh immigration policies that threaten not only undocumented immigrants but also documented Filipino workers and families.

The Trump-Marcos Jr. Fascist Tandem

The fascist tandem of Trump in the U.S. and Marcos in the Philippines represents a coordinated attack on democracy, human rights, and the welfare of Filipino communities both at home and abroad. Trump’s promise of mass deportations and militarized immigration enforcement is matched by Marcos’s subservience to U.S. imperialist interests, including increased militarization and intensified war efforts in the Philippines. This alliance fuels a climate of fear, repression, and exploitation for Filipino migrant workers, who are caught in the crossfire of these authoritarian regimes.

Filipino Migrants Detained and Targeted

Filipino migrants have faced unjust detention and neglect under Trump’s crackdown. Cases such as Auntie Lyn (Lewelyn Dixon), a single mother detained by ICE, have sparked community rallies demanding her release and highlighting the inhumane conditions inside detention centers. Similarly, Filipino immigrant teachers in Maui and caregivers in Chicago have been unlawfully detained, illustrating the indiscriminate nature of these raids and the targeting of Filipinos regardless of their legal status or community contributions.

Maximo Londonio’s case, among others, further exemplifies the systemic detention and exploitation of Filipino migrants, who often face harsh conditions without adequate support from the Philippine government.

Despite the Philippines having one of the largest overseas worker populations globally, the Marcos administration has been criticized for its neglect and failure to protect its nationals abroad, leaving detained migrants like Ligaya Jensen languishing in ICE facilities for years without consular assistance.

For over six years, Ligaya Jensen, a trans Filipina immigrant and mother of two, has endured the cruelty of ICE detention. Ligaya’s case highlights widespread mistreatment of LGBTQ+ migrants in U.S. detention facilities, where conditions are often described as inhumane, deadly, and deliberately designed to break people down.

Testimonies from formerly detained trans women describe rampant transphobia, solitary confinement, denial of health care, and degrading treatment from guards. As private prison companies profit from mass detention, advocates continue to call for an end to the detention system and for the freedom and dignity of all migrants.

The Imperialist Context of Filipino Labor Export Policy

The plight of Filipino migrant workers cannot be separated from the broader imperialist context of the Philippines’ Labor Export Program. This program, designed to export Filipino labor to sustain remittances and prop up the economy, subjects workers to exploitation and precarious conditions abroad. The program’s roots in the country’s chronic economic crisis - marked by stagnant wages, lack of national industrialization, and absence of genuine land reform - force many Filipinos to seek work overseas under vulnerable circumstances.

Solidarity with Other Marginalized Communities

The attacks on Filipino migrants are part of a wider pattern of racialized repression targeting Black and Brown communities across the U.S. The criminalization and mass detention of immigrants disproportionately affect Latino and Black bodies, reinforcing systemic racism and social injustice. Solidarity among these communities is crucial in resisting fascist policies and building a united front against oppression.

Fighting Back: Community Resistance and Calls to Action

Despite the grim realities, Filipino migrants and their allies are organizing and fighting back. Groups like Tanggol Migrante US are mobilizing the Filipino-American community to resist deportations, demand humane treatment, and hold the Philippine government accountable for its neglect. Nationwide protests, legal aid campaigns, and community networks are forming in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, where mass deportations have hit hardest.

A specific call to action is to explore these resources and actions in support of Ligaya Jensen. While the link isn’t our own, it leads to resources and actions organized by @anakbayaninlandempire, @kabataanalliance, @nafconusa, @gabrielosangeles, and @gabriela.usa that shed light on her case and the broader struggle against the criminalization of migrants.

The fight against the fascist Marcos-Trump tandem is also a fight for democracy, human rights, and the dignity of Filipino migrants and workers worldwide. If you can, join protests, amplify campaigns for migrant rights, and demand that the Philippine consulates provide adequate support to our detained kababayans.