Marcos to TNTs: The U.S. Is Just Doing Its Job!

Washington, D.C. — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. did not raise the issue of immigration during his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, citing the United States’ right to enforce its own immigration laws.

In a post-meeting statement, President Marcos explained that the U.S. is simply upholding its legal framework concerning undocumented immigrants and that the matter was not discussed in their bilateral talks.

“I think, in our estimation, what the United States is doing now is not any different from what they were doing before. These are people with records — wanted, convicted — especially those staying illegally, the so-called TNTs. They’re the ones being sent home,” Marcos said, partly in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez has reiterated his earlier appeal to undocumented Filipinos in America—commonly referred to as “TNTs” or Tago nang Tago—to consider voluntarily returning to the Philippines.

Romualdez emphasized the risks faced by undocumented immigrants, especially amid heightened enforcement and deportation efforts in the U.S.

“We continue to advise our kababayan to comply with U.S. immigration laws. If they no longer have legal avenues to stay, it may be best to come home,” Romualdez said in a previous statement.

The meeting between Marcos and Trump focused primarily on trade, defense cooperation, and strengthening bilateral relations, according to official briefings.

The United States remains one of the top destinations for Filipino migrants, with thousands of undocumented Filipinos still living in the country despite the risks of arrest and deportation.