Filipinos in the United States, through an online petition, are lobbying to stop the deportation of 31-year-old Jose Isabelo Librojo who has been an undocumented immigrant since 1995 when he was only 15 years old. Librojo, who resides in San Francisco, California, is facing deportation as the United States’ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) blocked his bid to secure permanent residency. Librojo is scheduled to be deported to the Philippines on Saturday. The petition to stop Librojo's deportation has gathered over 3,000 signatures and a number of testimonies and sympathetic messages as of Tuesday. His supporters are seeking to gather 5,000 signatures for Librojo. According to the petition, Librojo—a resident of San Francisco—“has been approved for an I-140 immigrant visa, which will allow him to adjust his status and become a permanent resident [or] green card holder." However, the template letter attached to the petition said Librojo “received a bag and baggage letter" from DHS in June, saying he was to leave the US on Aug. 2. The government unit has since refused to reopen his case, which puts a halt to his 10-year battle for permanent residency. Action to stop deportation According to the petition page, Librojo is set to be deported on Nov. 12. His supporters are petitioning to a number of legislators, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Rep. Fiona Ma, principal author of the legislation that encourages schools in California to include the contributions of Filipino war veterans in their social studies curriculum. They are likewise calling the attention of:
Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (John Morton); Secretary of Homeland Security (Janet Napolitano); and Chief Counsel, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Leslie Ungerman). Aside from the petition, Librojo’s supporters have also laid out a series of activities to urge Feinstein to back up the Filipino’s claim: a phone campaign to the senator’s office last Nov. 4; a press conference sponsored by the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) on Nov. 8; a candlelight vigil in front of Feinstein’s San Francisco Field Office on Nov. 9. Motion to reopen case Librojo came to the US with a valid visitor visa in 1995, when his family filed an application for political asylum. He obtained secondary education from Westmoor High School in Daily City, and moved on to earn a degree in Biology from San Francisco State University. Carrying an employment authorization card issued every year, Librojo is working as a full-time registered dental assistant and dental laboratory x-ray technician. A few days before he received the letter from the DHS, a memorandum from Morton’s office—dated June 17—was released, providing a set of guidelines on how to deal with what the Obama administration called “low-priority deportations." The new policy “allows DHS to review deportations on a case-by-case basis," giving leeway to young immigrants who do not have any criminal record and those that do not pose risk to national security. Petitioners for Librojo’s stay cited the recent development from the US government, saying the Filipino has been a law-abiding citizen. “He has never committed a crime and has filed his income tax return on a regular basis since finding legal and lawful employment in the US," the petition said. Librojo and his supporters are lobbying for a Motion to Reopen the removal proceedings, as well as for a grant of deferred action and stay of removal while the motion is pending, which can help push his bid for permanent status. DREAM Act Librojo is considered one of the young undocumented immigrants who would benefit from the federal version of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The DREAM Act, which was thumbed down last December, gives undocumented students brought to the US as children an opportunity to get an American citizenship. Among the legislation’s staunch supporters is Filipino Pulitzer recipient Jose Antonio Vargas, who admitted in a New York Times article last June that he was an undocumented immigrant since the age of 12. A petition on dreamact.com, said “If Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know." - VVP, GMA News 
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