Kuya G is a father and legal permanent resident who migrated to the U.S. when he was 18 years old in search of livelihood after experiencing poverty and joblessness in the Philippines. Kuya G has been detained for several months at the NWDC in Tacoma while suffering severe medical conditions that have been denied medical care countless times by ICE and the Philippine Consulate. Instead, NWDC medical staff intentionally failed to give him proper medication and instead provided laxatives and vitamins which exacerbated or did nothing to treat his actual medical condition. Tanggol Migrante Movement made monthly calls and demands to the Philippine Consulate and Embassy to intervene to provide necessary and comprehensive medical attention, but was met with silence.

After months of neglect and Kuya G begging for help, he was finally admitted to St. Joseph’s Medical Center where after multiple tests and procedures, he was discovered to have contracted ulcerative colitis which has the potential to develop into colon cancer. A week after being discharged, his foot swelled impeding his ability to walk. He returned to the hospital and was found to have a severe bone infection that required the amputation of his toe. As of October 28th, he has undergone 2 separate surgeries for the amputation.

This is a preventable consequence of medical violence due to delayed treatment at the hands of the NWDC and GEO Group. The Tanggol Migrante Movement is also appalled by the blatant inaction of the Philippine Consulate. Only after Tanggol Migrante Movement’s press conference on Friday, October 24th, did the Philippine Consulate give Kuya G a call for a welfare check. They claim they have been monitoring the situation closely, but if this is true - why would they allow his health to have gotten so bad?

November 21, 2025 UPDATES:
During his time at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Kuya G was met with 24/7 surveillance by ICE-contracted private security, shackled to his bed, and deprived of his right to speak to his lawyer. It was not until community pressure that ICE recognized his right to legal counsel. Additionally, the ICE-contracted security put the entire hospital in danger by leaving a loaded gun in the bathroom for at least 6 hours.

On November 12th, despite his persisting medical conditions, Kuya G was discharged from St. Joseph’s Medical Center and returned to the NWDC, where he once again faced hazardous and life-threatening conditions. Upon arriving, rather than receiving professional medical care from the facility, his fellow detainees redressed his wounds and helped him bathe. Kuya G has continued to struggle with persisting symptoms since.

The next day, Kuya G was notified by ICE that his deportation order will be processed immediately, despite being in recovery. Bernice Catherine Santayana, Assistance to Nationals Officer (ATN) of San Francisco, claimed there was nothing the Philippine Consulate could do to stop his deportation, despite having the ability and obligation to apply full diplomatic pressure on ICE to uphold Kuya G’s rights and welfare.

Kuya G also requested that the Philippine Consulate provide him a passport and documentation needed to file his stay of removal and motion to reopen his case. They have refused to do so, insultingly only providing an expired passport number.

Today, Kuya G was forced to sign “request for travel documents” by ICE that will push his deportation forward, while the consulate continues to hinder his fight to reopen his case and stop his deportation by not working with his lawyer to provide the documents they need to file.

From the beginning, the Philippine Consulate has done less than the bare minimum to support Kuya G. Even in the face of blatant human rights violations and medical violence, the Philippine Consulate continues to move with indifference and inaction.

Tanggol Migrante Movement continues to stand behind Kuya G as he fights to halt his deportation. We demand justice for Kuya G and call on our community to take action and demand his rights and welfare are upheld.

UPDATED DEMANDS

TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (incl. SF Consulate, Consul General Neil Ferrer, ATN Officer Bernice Catherine Santayana).

• Put an immediate stop to Kuya G’s deportation. For the Philippine Consulate not to process his travel documentation for ICE. Immediately provide Kuya G’s passport to his lawyer, and not to ICE. By providing travel documents to ICE, the consulate is directly facilitating the deportation of a gravely ill Filipino migrant, contradicting everything that Kuya G has repeatedly sought from your office.

• Provide adequate aid and support to Kuya G as he pursues his right to due process to re-open his legal case.

• Ensure comprehensive medical care and a full recovery for Kuya G in a safe, sterile environment. Demand that he be readmitted to the hospital without threat of ICE presence and surveillance during his stay.

• Demand accountability from ICE, GEO Group, and the U.S. government for their human rights violations in detention centers

• Enact immediate diplomatic protest and intervention to uphold the rights and welfare of Kuya G and ensure the abovementioned demands are met.

TO WASHINGTON STATE SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES and the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Support the efforts of Tanggol Migrante Movement in ensuring the basic human rights of Kuya G and all migrants in detention are upheld through visiting migrants in detention and investigation of the conditions within the Northwest Detention Center

Signatories:

Tanggol Migrante Movement
Defend Migrants Alliance
Migrante Southcenter
Malaya Movement Tacoma
PUSO Tacoma