Raul Raagas now in Mississippi, as families of detained Filipinos condemn PHL government’s alleged inaction
By Cristina DC Pastor
Detained Jersey City man Raul Raagas has been transferred to the County Detention Center in Mississippi on August 22, 2026 the Philippine Consulate in New York told The FilAm.
“He is now being handled by our consulate in Houston,” said Rovald Valdez, consular officer of the consulate’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) office.
Raagas was stopped for a minor traffic infraction July 24, 2026, while driving to work in Kearny, New Jersey, He was taken to an ICE processing center and then transferred to the CoreCivic Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth, N.J., where he remained in custody until August 21, 2026.
Valdez said the consulate has visited Raagas three times during his detention, and in one such visit Consul General Senen Mangalile had joined him and Vice Consul Pete Dela Fuente.
He denied accusations of “inaction” from families of detained Filipinos and Tanggol Migrante Movement. In a recent press conference, they condemned what they described as the Philippine Embassy and its consulates’ alleged failure to provide adequate assistance to Filipinos held in U.S. immigration detention.
Valdez said that while the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) is required under the Vienna Convention to inform countries of arrests of individuals, it is not obligated to update the consulates of the detainees’ every move.
“They are not obligated to inform us about court hearings or moving from place to place,” said Valdez.
Consulates keep themselves updated on the detainees’ situation through the Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) which ICE operates, he said. It is open to the public.
In their visits, Valdez said Raagas never asked for money from the consulate officers. While it is true that detainees are entitled to a certain amount from the ATN budget, the release of those funds will ultimately be approved by Manila, he said.
“Wala siyang sinasabi, hindi siya humihingi ng pera,” said Valdez. “We made our recommendations and we are waiting for approval from Manila to say if the fund has been approved.”
Meanwhile, the families of detained Filipinos in Washington, Illinois, California and New Jersey said their experiences reflect a broader pattern of neglect at a time when the Trump administration has intensified its immigration enforcement and detention campaign. They said Filipinos are being swept into detention and left for prolonged periods with little meaningful assistance, advocacy or diplomatic intervention from Philippine consular officials.
According to the chairperson of Migrante Southcenter and a representative of Tanggol Migrante Movement, the Philippine government has been reluctant to challenge the U.S. government over the treatment of detained Filipinos because it does not want to jeopardize economic and military relations between the two countries.
“What Ambassador Romualdez is prioritizing instead is making deals for the U.S.’ Pax Silica venture that will sell out the Philippine land and people and worsen the conditions that force Filipinos to migrate abroad,” the chairperson identified only as JonJon said.
Filipino migrants and their families said they have repeatedly appealed to Philippine consulates for basic assistance, including wellness checks for detainees with serious medical conditions and access to Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds intended for Filipinos in distress. Instead, they said, requests have often been met with complicated bureaucratic procedures, unclear responses and promises that have failed to produce timely assistance.
“Hindi ba normal na matulungan kami ng Philippine consulate? Sila ang dapat tumulong kasi purpose naman nila ’yun,” said Janet Raagas, the wife of Raul Raagas.
