We, Filipinos in the U.S, strongly condemn Trump's deadly war escalation in Iran and the Middle East. We are deeply concerned for the lives and safety in the region, and in particular, the 2.4 million OFWs who work there. The escalation of war is an unnecessary move by a volatile administration.

Since the beginning of March, nearly 2,300 people have been killed by U.S. attacks and bombs, including 168 children at the Minab elementary school in Iran. The victims ages range from eight months to 88 years old. We collectively mourn the death of Filipina caregiver 32-year old Mary Anne Velasquez de Vera. We, Filipinos in the U.S., stand with the people of Iran, Lebanon, and all across West Asia who bear the brunt of Trump's unchecked violence.

This deadly war will have reverberating and lasting impacts on all of our communities. As a diasporic community all too familiar with the grave impacts of US-led war and displacement, we come together to express our concern and outrage:

1. We are against the escalation of war in the Middle East and around the world including the Philippines and the mortal danger it poses to the millions that reside there. We stand in solidarity with the people impacted by U.S. led war in their homelands. We oppose the use of the Philippines as staging ground for U.S. war and intervention.
2. We are against the danger this brings to the 2.4 million OFWs currently working in the Middle East, including domestic workers, seafarers, and other precarious positions. We are against forced migration and export of Filipinos as cheap labor to war zones.
3. We demand an end to all attacks on migrant workers in the Middle East and in the U.S. We recognize that the attacks on migrant workers in the U.S. are not disconnected from the wars abroad, and that they result from Trump and U.S. interests to exploit for more profit.
4. We demand a people first response to the economic hardship felt by Filipinos from the Philippines to the U.S. Release immediate and adequate aid and support and prevent the price gouging of basic goods. Immediately remove excessive consumer taxes like the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax that make daily necessities unaffordable. Repeal the Oil Deregulation Law in the Philippines and roll back the oil prices.
5. We demand an end to the dependence on foreign imports of resources and basic goods. The Philippines should prioritize the development of our own national industries to be able to support the needs of its people without over reliance on outside countries.
6. We oppose our family and community members in the military being forced into in unlawful wars of aggression! We demand their safety and are against them being used to harm and violate the human rights and sovereignty of other nations!

We call on Filipinos in the U.S. to stand against Trump's war on Iran and demand an immediate end to these escalation of violence and war, from Iran to Palestine, to Venezuela, and to the Philippines.