Palace advises Filipinos going abroad to stick to immigration laws

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER file photo.

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang cautioned Filipinos Saturday against using the United States’ new policy on unauthorized immigrants as a license to go there undocumented.

“President (Barack) Obama also mentioned that this will not apply to future cases. So, there’s a cut-off. So, let’s not think this is license to go anywhere undocumented,’’ Malacañang deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said over the state-run dzRB radio.

Valte advised Filipinos planning to work or live in the US or any other country to abide by immigration laws.

“Please, if you intend to reside or to work in other countries, please make sure that we abide by the proper rules and regulations and that we fulfill all the documentary requirements,’’ she said.

The new US policy, which is expected to benefit 4 million immigrants, including tens of thousands of Filipinos, was laudable, Valte said.

“This is a welcome action from the President of the United States,’’ she said. “Any Filipino citizen who satisfies these parameters, we encourage them to take advantage of the window that was given by President Obama.’’

The new program applies to unauthorized immigrants who are parents of US citizens.

Some 4 million people will be eligible for a new legal status that would defer their deportations and allow them to work legally. But they have to pass background checks and pay taxes, and will be issued social security cards.

An additional 1 million people will have some protection from outright deportation through other parts of the president’s plan.

Some Filipino-American groups had expressed full support for Obama’s policy that could benefit tens of thousands of undocumented Filipinos.

Some viewed it as “partial victory’’ because it applied only to parents of US citizens, virtually leaving out a majority of undocumented Filipinos.

Among the expected beneficiaries is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas.

Vargas is one of the 270,000 people eligible for relief under the expansion of a 2012 Obama move to stop deporting individuals brought illegally as children by their parents to the US.

Obama’s policy ends a program called Secure Communities, which had been criticized as a dragnet that led to the roundup of many unauthorized immigrants on minor offenses like traffic violations.

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