by – Glen Palaca Hubahib, Esq.
Among the executive orders Pres Trump signed in the first few hours after assumption is the enhance immigration enforcement – “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”. It is intended to address national security and public safety concerns. The objective is to eradicate hostile activities against the United States and to end the presence of cartels, gangs and transnational organization that engage in human trafficking and drug smuggling along the US and Mexican border.
The border crossing numbering hundreds of thousands to a million each year has been the problem that stretched the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance of the Department of State and local enforcement authorities because they have to be process, screen and house in the United States. Hence, money is not really spent on taxpaying citizens. Now, they will be immediately sent the other way to Mexico.
Deportation flight.foxnews.com
Cartels and gangs are also well versed in Immigration Law that they prefer children to cross the border because they have the protection as a refugee under International Law. Thus, it is easier for them to acquire special immigrant visa. Lately, the going rate to pay the “coyote” for the border crossing is US $15,000. Coyote is a dessert wily fox and is loose term for the middleman in the illegal immigration at the border. The security or collateral to ensure payment is the family left behind.
Additionally, Pres. Trump also signed the Laken Riley Act which requires ICE to detain and deport immediately illegal immigrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting and assaulting a police officer. Laken Riley, 22, was a nursing student at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia who went to run in the morning of Feb 22, 2024, in the campus but was brutally murdered by Jose Ibarra, 26. The latter intended to rape Riley was previously arrested for shoplifting and child endangerment.
Laken Riley, undated photo.abc news.
The current immigration enforcement has created fear, anxiety and apprehension to immigrant families. It is estimated that as of March 2024 there are 14 million people who are in the US illegally. Majority works on jobs that a US citizen and legal immigrant would not take such as farm workers, restaurant kitchen staff, caregivers, construction workers and cleaners to name a few. They provided cheap labor to the American economy, pay taxes and send their children to school to become good and law-abiding members of the society. For many years they remain a shadow and ghost because they cannot vote and hence, they are always at the mercy to whoever occupies the Whitehouse and the Capitol.
Speaking of voting, what has become to the Philippine senators and congressmen? They were very loud and rowdy in the investigation of this and that. But some are mumbling for those able to speak and eerily quiet to those who are regularly mum. They hastily passed the budget, and some would suggest railroad. The bicameral conference committee was supposed to reconcile competing versions only to be accused of blank items in their report.
Blanks in the Bicam report. Ralph Llemit/Sunstar
The issue is whether the appropriation budget signed by Pres. Marcos reflects the bill that was passed by the House and the Senate and the constitutional primacy of education followed? It is now before the Supreme Court. If it is struck as unconstitutional, then the 2024 budget is reenacted. Guess what, VP Sarah might have the last laugh because after all the brouhaha on her confidential and intelligence fund and that was zeroed in the 2025 budget, she will after all get what she had in 2024 for the year 2025.
[Note: Glen Palaca Hubahib is admitted to practice law in California and the Philippines. He also holds Electrical Engineering and MBA degrees. The article is for information only and is not a legal advice. Send your comments to the author at hubahibg@gmail.com.]