Seattle, Washington, 02 September 2026 – Mr. Loreto Javar, a 76-year-old Filipino national arrested and detained by ICE for alleged violation of US Immigration Laws has been released on recognizance on 1 September 2026 by ICE pending the resolution of his deportation case.
The Philippine Consulate General in Seattle expressed thanks to ICE for its cooperation and humanitarian gesture and to the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC for their cooperation and support.
Loreto was arrested by ICE on 23 June 2026 when the matter of his alleged involvement in a past criminal incident in the Philippines in the 1970s which resulted in the death of a person surfaced during his interview with ICE relating to his application for US citizenship.
According to Loreto, he is innocent of the charges against him in the Philippines but admitted his imprisonment for 3 years before he was released on parole. He migrated to the United States in 1995 and has been a resident of this country for more than 3 decades. He is a green card holder.
The Philippine Consulate General in Seattle came across the case of Loreto (who was reportedly arrested on 23 June 2026) and immediately started working on this matter in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC pursuant to the 1947 Consular Convention Between the United States of America and the Republic of the Philippines and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Under the two Conventions, all Philippine Consulates in the United States are allowed to perform some governmental functions relating to consular services, including the provision of assistance to distressed Filipino nationals in the territory of the US but with the concurring obligation to respect and refrain from interfering in the domestic affairs of the US.
The Philippine Consulate General in Seattle, in close collaboration, with the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, quietly executed its mandate. Consulate personnel visited Loreto twice; first, on the 1st of July 2026 and second, on the 22nd of July 2026.
Upon learning from Loreto that he already secured a lawyer, the Philippine Consulate tried to coordinate with the lawyer to ensure consistency, complimentary and alignment with the legal strategy of the lawyer.
The Consulate likewise explored the possibility of helping secure documentary evidence from the Philippines that are needed by the lawyer in the case. According to Loreto, these documents are critical to the case so as to prove that he already served his sentence in the Philippines and was already legally released.
On 25 August 2026, the Philippine Consulate General in Seattle sent a formal request to ICE to look into the health condition of Loreto, informing them of the latter’s pancreatic cancer. Beyond the medical attention, the Consulate also respectfully requested ICE to consider extending “any other appropriate help that ICE could provide.”
On 1 September 2026, or roughly 7 days after the Consulate’s request, ICE issued an Order of Release on Recognizance, allowing Loreto to be released from detention even while his deportation case remains pending. This would allow Loreto to receive appropriate medical treatment for his pancreatic cancer outside of detention. This humanitarian gesture was extended on the condition that he reports to ICE for the hearings on his case.
A hearing on his case has been scheduled on 28 September 2026.
END.