Around 10,000 Filipinos could be affected by the decision of the US government to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The agency announced on Wednesday that it would provide help to up to 10,000 Filipinos, who could face deportation now that the program is being terminated.
Alan Peter Cayetano, the Foreign Affairs Secretary, issued a statement in which he said that the Department will give authorization for the limited use of the Legal Assistance Fund and the Assistance to Nationals Fund, to help cases that arise from President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to end the deferred action program. The statement followed the President’s announcement and issuing of a 5 March 2018 deadline for Congress to create its own legislation to protect Dreamers from deportation.
Cayetano said that while they are still hoping for a legislative solution, immigrants should prepare themselves for the worst while adding that the Department is also exploring other potential legal options that affected Filipinos may have. The deferred action program was created by executive order of President Barack Obama in 2012. While it did not offer a pathway to US citizenship, it protected young undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children from deportation and could be renewed every two years.
According to data from Chuasoto, there are around 3.4 million Filipinos currently living in the US, 300,000 of whom are undocumented immigrants.