NEW YORK — Filipino union leader Maximo Londonio has been put into solitary confinement at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Wash., with activist organizations claiming he is being singled out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE ) in retaliation for exposing inhumane conditions at the center and fighting for the rights of fellow detainees.
Londonio, aged 42, goes by the nickname Kuya Max. He works as a senior forklift operator at Crown Cork & Seal in Olympia and has been part of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) for over seven years now.
He was arrested by immigration agents on May 16 after returning from a family visit to the Philippines. The green card holder and father of three now faces deportation proceedings, despite having lived in the United States since age 12.
READ: Raids conducted by ICE throughout Los Angeles triggered intense protests.
During his court appearance on June 20, Londonio secured an extension of time and reiterated his commitment to fighting deportation. Despite this, supporters from the Tanggol Migrante Network highlight increasing hostility from ICE towards him and mention that he received legal assistance just days prior to the hearing.
Solitary confinement
On June 14, GEO Group The guards upgraded Londonio’s security status and moved him to an isolated cell, separating him from fellow inmates and the support network he had established in his former section, as reported by Tanggol Migrante. It is said that he cannot exit his room and has been provided with just a plastic sheet for sleeping.
We reached out to the ATN number and informed both Bernice [Santanaya, an ATN officer] and them about him getting unfairly targeted," stated Crystal Londonio, who has been married to Max for twenty years. "They should have this documented on their side... I am surprised they can't connect these dots themselves. Part of their role is identifying and rectifying such injustices. They shouldn't hesitate to uphold justice; after all, it just takes basic reasoning.
Advocacy groups and union leaders have rallied in support of Londonio.
On June 15, Tanggol Migrante and their community supporters rallied together with about 90 individuals outside the NWDC to call for his swift liberation.
“I want Maximo and his family to know that his union fully supports him,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “We will be here for whatever it takes for as long as it takes. We want Max free now!”
Jhem of BAYAN Washington called on the Philippine Consulate to assist Londonio.
“The Consulate must do its job. The Consulate must intervene immediately for Kuya Max’s safety and demand his immediate removal from segregation, in addition to his immediate removal from ICE detention,” Jhem said.
Petition signatures
Tanggol Migrante and the Londonio family swiftly rallied support following his move to isolation, amassing over 900 petition signatures and obtaining legal representation within just a few days.
The petition was forwarded to Washington state Representative Pramila Jayapal and the Philippine Consulate. In just a few hours, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project provided Londonio with an attorney, as stated by the organization.
Jenilee from the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (Nafcon) added: “We have been assisting families with legal support, filling out Assistance to Nationals forms and providing what the Consulate is supposed to provide.”
Tanggol Migrante said that, in contrast, the Philippine Consulate stated it could only release $300 in Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds to Londonio’s commissary, offering it only after mounting community pressure.
“The Londonios have not received the funds, but the Consulate managed to request more government funding for personal travel and lodging to visit Max,” the group added.
Jessica Rojas of the International Migrants Alliance criticized the Consulate’s response at the rally.
What is the price of a flight from San Francisco? It costs more than $300. Are you saying that you're asking for funding that could be around three to five times what you intend to provide to Kuya Max, and this isn’t even meant for his family or their well-being; it's simply for supplies.
“So it’s basically just going back to this prison in the first place? This is why we must fight, not just to be put back into his unit before segregation… but we will not stop fighting until Max is free,” Rojas said.
Inquirer.net USA reached out to the Consulate in San Francisco to get their response regarding the remarks made by migrant rights activists.
Urgent concerns
Supporters claimed that Londonio was put in isolation after meeting with Rep. Jayapal and two other representatives to voice critical issues regarding the NWDC’s circumstances.
Tanggol Migrante along with the Londonos asserted that the transfer was an act of reprisal against him due to his advocacy work and for shedding light on the circumstances within the detention facility, which included issues like contaminated meals and familial separations.
“Kuya Max has friends from all over the world,” said Rojas. “He would share food with them. He created a whole network with his community. How can you say he was unsafe when he created this absolutely beautiful community? They ripped him from that, and now he’s sitting in isolation by himself!”
Londonio’s advocacy has helped others as well.
Rodante Rivera , a fellow Filipino detainee, was released from the NWDC last week after his deportation case was dismissed. It was Londonio who connected him to Tanggol Migrante.
Even though I've known Max for just a brief period, I can tell he's an upright individual," Rivera stated in a supportive letter. "He consistently prioritizes others over himself, lends a hand whenever possible, and speaks endlessly about his family. He is truly a virtuous person who merits being set free.
Tanggol Migrante has demanded the immediate release of Londonio from isolation and ICE detention and called on the Philippine Consulate to advocate more forcefully for his safety and release.
Supporters have vowed to keep up the pressure until Londonio is reunited with his family.