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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stand near a gate at Delaney Hall, a newly converted immigrant detention centre in Elizabeth, New Jersey May 7, 2025. Timothy A. Clary, AFP

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LOS ANGELES — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Filipino man during sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles this weekend. The 55-year-old Filipino, who had been living in California illegally, was detained on charges including burglary and sexual assault with a foreign object, with a total prison sentence of 37 years.The Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles said it was aware of the arrest that was part of a broader operation that netted at least 11 other individuals — mostly from Mexico and Central America — whose criminal records range from murder to weapons possession.<div>ICE described the operation as targeting “the worst of the worst” among undocumented immigrants, focusing on those with serious violent convictions.</div>The raids ignited protests across Los Angeles, as hundreds of residents and immigrant rights groups rallied to oppose the arrests. Demonstrators clashed with National Guard troops deployed under President Donald Trump’s authority, who had bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections. Troops fired tear gas and forcibly dispersed protesters outside a detention center in the city on Sunday.This marks the first time since 1965 that a US president deployed the National Guard without a request from a state governor, fueling debates over executive power and states’ rights. Newsom called Trump’s move “purposefully inflammatory” and said it was designed to “manufacture a crisis.”Critics of the operation say it unfairly targets immigrant communities and disregards due process. However, Trump defended the deployment, telling reporters it was essential to maintain “law and order” in the wake of what he described as “violent protests.”Meanwhile, immigrant rights advocates have voiced concern for those arrested, including the Filipino man. “While the crimes these individuals are accused of are deeply serious, the federal raids and military response threaten to trample on the rights of the broader community,” said one advocate at the protests.The situation in Los Angeles remains tense, as National Guard troops continue to patrol protest hotspots and Trump signaled that he could extend deployments to other cities facing similar unrest.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Filipino man during sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles this weekend.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Filipino man during sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles this weekend.

Filipino arrested in ICE raids on Los Angeles protests; troop deployment sparks controversy

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Filipino arrested in ICE raids on Los Angeles protests; troop deployment sparks controversy

ABS-CBN News,

TJ Manotoc,

with reports from AFP

Published June 09, 2025 03:43 PM PHT

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Updated June 09, 2025 03:44 PM PHT

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