Kuya G is a 37 year old 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 at the NWDC in Tacoma since March 2025, where he has developed severe medical conditions and has been denied medical care countless times by ICE. For months, ICE medical staff intentionally failed to give him proper medication or examination, which allowed conditions to develop undetected while also worsening his condition. Tanggol Migrante Movement echoed Kuya G’s request for hospitalization and made demands to the Philippine Consulate and Embassy to intervene to provide necessary and comprehensive medical attention, but was consistently met with silence.

In October, Kuya G was discovered to have developed a life-changing ulcerative colitis condition, which has the potential to develop into colon cancer within one year. He was also found to have a severe bone infection that required two surgeries for the amputation of part of his foot. While at the hospital, he continued to be met with 24/7 ICE surveillance and was shackled to his bed without the right to speak to his lawyer.

Kuya G was discharged from the hospital despite his persisting medical conditions on November 12^th, where he once again faced hazardous and life-threatening conditions, being rejected care and having his amputation stitches forcibly removed in a grueling procedure by ICE medical staff. The next day, ICE moved to quickly push forward his deportation.

Meanwhile, Assistance to Nationals (ATN) officer of San Francisco, Bernice Santayana, 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. In turn, she pushed to expedite his deportation at every step of the way.

On December 7^th, Kuya G was sent to be deported by ICE despite being medically unfit to fly, risking significant long-term consequences or even death. That night, the Philippine Consulate and ATN officer Santayana colluded with ICE to send his necessary travel documents that the airline required. However, the massive outrage of community members and medical professionals urged the Philippine Airlines to deem Kuya G as medically unfit to fly and successfully stopped the deportation.

The Tanggol Migrante Movement is appalled by the abuses of GEO Group and ICE, as well as the indifference and inaction of the Philippine Consulate, who from the beginning did less than the bare minimum to support Kuya G and allowed ICE to wantonly abuse his rights even in the face of blatant human rights violations and potential death.

Kuya G is now in the process of a habeas petition to grant him a release from his unjust and punitive detention. After facing months of neglect and abuse, there is no humane reason for Kuya G to remain in detention nor be deported. Kuya G’s medical situation remains dire as he requires urgent medical examination and continuous treatment that will be inaccessible in the Philippines, while also facing retaliatory threats and scare tactics from ICE of increased surveillance and no access to phone calls if he is re-admitted to a hospital – all for expressing his fundamental human rights for due process and healthcare.

However, Tanggol Migrante Movement and our allies continue to fight for justice. In the face of this current situation, we emphasize these current demands:

1) Release Kuya G from his unjust and punitive detention in the Northwest Detention Center.

2) Immediate and comprehensive medical care for Kuya G. Ensure a comprehensive examination by a third-party GI specialist.

3) Safe hospitalization without ICE supervision.

4) The Philippine government must intervene to stop Kuya G’s deportation entirely.

5) All Philippine public officials who failed Kuya G must take accountability and answer to the people. Bernice Santayana, Neil Ferrer, Babe Romualdez, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. - resign!

TO WASHINGTON STATE SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES and the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

In addition to uplifting the abovementioned demands, support the efforts of the Tanggol Migrante Movement in ensuring the basic human rights of 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