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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) […]
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BEYOND THE VISA New DHS guidelines for international students, journalists: maximum stay capped at 4 years
Starting September 15, 2026, the era of open-ended timelines for international students, exchange visitors, and journalists will be officially over. F-1 Under the new Department of Homeland Security guidelines, F-1 students will be admitted for their specific program period up to a strict maximum of four (4) years. If a student is on optional practical […]
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Attorney Maybelle Francisco: A compassionate approach to immigration
By Cristina DC Pastor For immigration lawyer Maybelle Ocampo Francisco, every case tells a human story. It could be a family longing to reunite, a professional pursuing a career, an entrepreneur chasing opportunity, or an immigrant hoping for security in a new country. It is with this understanding that she formed her own law practice […]
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Community leaders, elected officials call for release of Raul Raagas detained by ICE in N.J.
Community organizations, labor advocates, and elected officials are calling for the immediate release of Filipino immigrant Raul Raagas, a 63-year-old Jersey City resident who is being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center after his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Raagas was detained on July 24 after he was stopped while driving to […]
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BEYOND THE VISA Stricter public charge rules effective September; be sure to get your I-485 ready
By Licelle Cobrador On July 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) repealed the Biden Administration public charge rule, effective September 18, 2026. This will allow the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to deny green cards to anyone deemed likely to rely on government assistance, such as SNAP or food stamps, […]
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Beyond the Visa: Judge blocks H-1B filing fee of $100,000; gov’t to appeal
By Licelle Cobrador In September 2025, President Trump issued Proclamation 10973 introducing a $100,000 supplemental fee for new, first-time H-1B visa petitions filed from abroad. That proclamation was in effect for several months although on June 8, 2025, a federal judge vacated the order and nullified the $100,000 fee. Judge Leo Sorokin said President Trump […]
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Journalists more concerned about the truth than the policy impact of their reports Part 3
By Marivir Montebon This 3rd of 4 parts dissertation by Dr. Marivir Montebon examines how bridging the political divide of U.S. immigration is possible through Transformative Journalism. Participant journalists covering immigration adhere to truth and accuracy as the prime ethic of their profession. They are not quite concerned with the policy impact their stories may […]
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Can the church and media make immigration stories enlightening? Part 2
By Marivir Montebon This 2nd of 4 parts dissertation by Dr. Marivir Montebon examines how bridging the political divide of U.S. immigration is possible through Transformative Journalism. Political polarization did not begin or end with journalists. Corporate media organizations, driven by ideological differences, business interests, and the appetite for audience capture, have widened the division […]
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How politicized, hateful, lack-of-context media reporting dehumanizes migrants Part 1
By Marivir Montebon This 1st of 4 parts dissertation by Dr. Marivir Montebon examines how bridging the political divide of U.S. immigration is possible through Transformative Journalism. The struggle over how the U.S. talks about immigration is as old as the nation itself, shaping not only politics but also the stories people read, hear, and […]