Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has renewed his call for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to pursue diplomatic solutions to support Filipinos in the United States affected by immigration crackdowns under the Trump-era Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies.
“We (the US and Philippines) have permanent interests. Our relationships matter. We must always have a solution,” the former Foreign Affairs Secretary said, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy in addressing the concerns of affected kababayan.
“We must always have a solution.”
This comes after the October 14 Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee I deliberation on the 2026 proposed budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs, where the agency reported ongoing efforts to an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Filipinos in the US facing deportation risks.
“At least 5,248 Filipinos have applied for the visa in 2024.”
The subcommittee panel also discussed the assistance being given to detained seafarers despite having complete and valid documentation, the coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to ensure legal and repatriation assistance, and the potential impacts of the new H-1B visa fee, noting that at least 5,248 Filipinos have applied for the visa in 2024.
Months back, Cayetano had appealed to newly appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro, whom he called a “very able career diplomat,” to leverage her experience and international relationships in managing complex foreign policy issues, particularly the concerns of Filipinos in the US.
“Our dear incoming Secretary has a lot of relationships. Aasa po kami sa inyo… Because in diplomacy, unlike politics, it’s not a zero sum game,” the veteran legislator concluded.
