MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Thursday he will seek a meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss the new administration's immigration crackdown.
Trump began his second term last week with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling immigration to the United States, while also suspending many foreign aid programmes for 90 days pending funding reviews.
The Trump administration has said hundreds of undocumented immigrants were arrested in the United States since he returned to the White House on January 20, with dozens of migrants expelled last week.
The Philippine envoy to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said Monday that 80 Filipinos were among those set to be deported from the United States.
"I will meet with President Trump... because there's much that we need to discuss between the US and the Philippines in terms of the trade, in terms of defence and security, and now, the new policy on immigration," Marcos told reporters during a visit to the central city of Cebu.
"This is something that we have to work through and hopefully resolve. Because the Filipinos in the United States, especially, have really formed a very important part already of their workforce. So, we'll see how we can influence the policymaking in terms of immigration."
Marcos declined to comment on the US aid freeze, describing it as "very unclear" and "the growing pains of a new administration".
"But I'm sure that with time, these policies will crystallise and will become clearer. And by which time, I will have a chance to visit with President Trump and we can discuss it with a better understanding of what the policies are," he added.
Washington is Manila's top military aid donor.
US government data shows Washington also provided $150 million in assistance to its ally and former colony in fiscal year 2024 for economic, health, security, education, human rights and humanitarian projects.
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