November 23-29, 2024 Volume 34 - No. 76 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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DATELINE USA from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
Pres. Biden nominates Fil-Am philanthropist to Millennium Challenge Corporation board UNITED States President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Filipina American community leader and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis to serve on the board of directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, the MCC partners with the world’s poorest countries that are committed to just and democratic governance, economic freedom and investing in their populations. The MCC is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. Lewis serves as Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice, LLC, a family investment firm. A lawyer by profession, Lewis made history as the first Filipino woman to pass the New York Bar without attending law school in the United States. Her landmark discrimination case against the U.S. Immigration and
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What Trump’s immigration plans mean for the US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to launch the largest deportation program in U.S. history. This was estimated by Vice President-elect JD Vance to involve one million removals yearly. Can the U.S. afford these policies? What do these crackdowns mean for undocumented and legal immigrants? Mass deportation Based on Census data surveys, there are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. as of July 2023 — about 3.5% of the total population, and up 800,000 from the previous July. The all-time peak is 12 million immigrants, reached in 2008. The highest year of deportations from the U.S. interior is 238,000 immigrants, reached in 2009. “Currently, most people we deport are already in detention. The government just picks them up … and figures out whether they’re allowed to be here and how to get them back, and if the country will take them back,” said Jeremy Robbins, executive direc-
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US backs Philippine forces in South China Sea with task force the “U.S. Task Force Ayungin,” whose existence only came to light when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III mentioned it on social media. But Philippine security officials stressed that the The United States Department of Defense has confirmed that American troops are supporting little-known unit was limited to providing support Philippine operations in the South China Sea through for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, by Nestor Corrales Inquirer.net
among others, and that the Americans had no “direct participation” in operations such as resupply missions to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Maj. Pete Nguyen, the Pentagon spokesperson, told the Inquirer in an email exchange on Thursday, u PAGE A2
Los Angeles passes ‘sanctuary city’ ordinance to shield undocumented immigrants by AJPress IN a decisive move to protect immigrant communities ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's anticipated crackdown on immigration, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a "sanctuary city" ordinance on Tuesday, November 19. The ordinance, which formalizes the city’s policy of non-cooperation with federal immigration authorities, is aimed at safeguarding residents without legal status from potential mass deportations. It stems from a motion introduced by Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez, and Hugo Soto-Martinez and adopted unanimously in 2023. The ordinance bars city resources from being used for immigration enforcement and prohibits city departments from sharing personal information about individuals with federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While Los Angeles already maintains policies limiting collaboration with immigration enforcement, Tuesday’s vote codifies these protections into city law. “I came to this country with my mother as an immigrant IN DEMAND. A stall selling Christmas lanterns occupy an area in Granada Street, San Juan City on Wednesday, November 20. Vendors at the famous “parol” row temporarily stay at their roadside stalls to take advantage of the peak holiday season. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc u PAGE A5
No word on whether Garma seeking US political asylum by Pia Lee-Brago, Christine Boton Philstar.com
MANILA — There is no word yet from U.S. authorities if former police colonel Royina Garma is indeed requesting for political asylum, according to Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also gave no confirmation of Garma’s reported asylum request. “No confirmation now,” Remulla said. Should Garma’s asylum request proceed, she must establish that her life is in peril due to political persecution. “Under detention so far. No word on
asylum,” Romualdez said in a text message to The STAR. “We are checking the delay in deportation.” Remulla noted that ongoing investigations on Garma’s alleged crimes will proceed regardless of her location, citing the Philippines’ Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the U.S. The MLAT ensures both nations cooperate in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting criminal offenses. Remulla also cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016, u PAGE A2
Photo shows President Marcos congratulating Donald Trump in his first phone call with the U.S. president-elect on Tuesday, November 19. In his post, Marcos said ‘the overwhelming support of Filipinos in the United States on your triumphant win is a testament to the deep and enduring friendship between our nations.’ Malacañang photo
Marcos, Trump discuss US to provide $1M aid for typhoon victims alliance in phone call by Kristina Maralit ManilaTimes.net
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) meets President Ferdinand Marcos during a courtesy call in Malacañang on November 18, 2024. Malacañang photo
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, November 18 welcomed the additional $1 million humanitarian aid from the United States government for those affected by the powerful typhoons as he met with visiting Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III in Malacañang. Austin extended his “condolences, thoughts, and prayers to all those who’ve been disadvantaged by these six significant storms that have taken place in a very short
period of time.” “Mr. President, I have authorized U.S. troops and all the Philippine forces to provide life-saving aid to the Filipino people. The U.S. has also secured another million dollars in urgent humanitarian aid and that will enhance the work of the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the World Food Program,” Austin told Marcos. The U.S. official, who visited the country last July with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, lauded Marcos for his decision to utilize all nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation u PAGE A2
by Helen Flores Philstar.com
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump discussed their countries’ alliance and their desire to further strengthen the relationship in a phone call on Tuesday, November 19. Marcos told reporters the call with Trump was “very friendly” and “very productive,” and said he planned to see Trump as soon as he could. “I think President-elect Trump was happy to hear from the Philippines,” said Marcos, whose two-year-old administration has strengthened Manila’s defense relationship with Washington as both countries face common security challenges in the region. “We continued to talk about the relations – the alliance between the United States and the Philippines. And I expressed to him our continuing desire to strengthen that relationship between our two countries, which is a relationship that is as deep as can possibly be u PAGE A3