Pinoy facing deportation in US appeals for support

Filipino dental assistant Jose Isabelo Librojo made his final appeal for support via YouTube as he faces deportation on Saturday (US time), six years since his family’s asylum visa expired. In a video message posted on Friday, a somber Librojo called on his supporters to join him at the San Francisco International Airport in California, where he will meet with his immigration officer. “I’m [at] risk of being detained tomorrow, so please I’m humbly asking that you support by signing [the online] petition and hopefully show up at the airport tomorrow," he said. He also pleaded his case in the video, saying he has “an approved immigrant visa petition that needs to be reopened" to enable him to adjust his status. Thirty one-year-old Librojo—a resident of San Francisco, California—is facing deportation as the United States’ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refused to reopen his case, which will enable him to secure permanent residency. “I’m not a criminal, and I shouldn’t be deported because I’ve been here [for] more than 16 years of my life," Librojo said in the video. “I’m authorized to work and I’m a tax-paying citizen and I should be low-priority for deportation." According to a report of US-based freelance writer Gabriela Garcia, Librojo’s friends disclosed that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “expressed no plans to cancel his scheduled deportation." “’See you Saturday,’ were the chilling last words [Jose] heard from ICE this week," Garcia wrote. Librojo moved to the US with his family when he was 15 years old, after they were granted political asylum in 1995. 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. The asylum visa was no longer renewed after its expiration in 2005, which triggered deportation notice. Librojo’s parents chose to leave voluntarily, while his sister moved to Canada. Petition and campaign Librojo “received a bag and baggage letter" from DHS in June, saying he was to leave the US on Aug. 2. A few days before he got the letter, ICE director John Morton released a memorandum—dated June 17—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. Filipinos in the United States are lobbying for this through an online petition, which has gathered more than 8,000 signatures as of Friday. The target number of signatures was raised to 10,000, from only half last week. 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. Aside from the petition—which calls on the attention of legislators and authorities, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Morton—Librojo’s supporters have also laid out a series of activities to urge Feinstein to back up the Filipino’s claim: