Latest news with #Londonio
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Maximo Londonio? Tacoma Green card holder's ICE detention sparks protests
Supporters stood outside the Northwest ICE Processing Center Friday afternoon, demanding the release of Maximo 'Kuya Max' Londonio — a well-known labor union leader, US green card holder, and father of three. Londonio, 42, was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection after coming back from a trip to the Philippines. The trip was to pay tribute to his late mother and celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife, Crystal. 'He's not a danger. He's one of us. He's our brother,' one protester shouted, as chants of support filled the air outside the facility. Crystal said her husband has a past, which they believe is the reason he's now detained. But she also said Max took ownership of the mistakes he made many years ago. 'Max took responsibility for what he did more than 25 years ago and fulfilled all the requirements set by the court,' Crystal said. She believes both governments have now left him behind. 'They told us they're waiting to see what the US will do before making a decision,' Crystal added. Crystal has found help through Tanggol Migrante, a migrant advocacy group, and is now working with them to raise awareness about how detention affects families. Also Read: Have a valid Green Card? You might still face deportation - Here's why 'This hits the economy too, and it's bringing it down,' said Jo Faralan from Tanggol Migrante. 'Migrant workers keep so much of this country running.' Advocates say Londonio's case isn't rare — and want big changes. 'I want my husband home, and our daughters want their dad back now,' Crystal said. The family has teamed up with immigrant rights groups and labor unions calling for the release of all detainees. During the protest, a bus — passenger count unknown — entered the facility as Crystal joined chants of 'Free them all.' La Resistencia, another advocacy group, says the Tacoma detention center is overcrowded, now holding over 1,600 people. The group also says conditions are getting worse, while two to three deportation flights leave each week.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Filipino green card holder detained at Seattle airport after Philippine vacation
Crystal Londonio (right) speaking at a rally demanding the immediate release of her husband, Max Londonio. - IAM Union website NEW YORK: Maximo 'Max' Londonio, a Filipino green card holder and father of three, has been detained at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after returning from a family vacation in the Philippines, sparking protests and renewed calls for government accountability. Londonio, 42, who immigrated to the US at age 12 and now lives in Olympia, Washington, was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 15. Londonio, his wife and their 12-year-old daughter were returning from their vacation in the Philippines, according to migrant rights advocacy group Tanggol Migrante. CBP agents reportedly detained Londonio over non-violent offences from his youth, despite previous uneventful travel between the US and the Philippines. His wife, Crystal – a US citizen – described him as 'dedicated,' 'family-focused' and 'affectionate,' and said she received little information about his whereabouts or the reasons for his detention. She was finally able to contact him on Tuesday and learned he had received a notice to appear before an immigration judge and would be transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre, where thousands of migrants await deportation hearings. 'The lack of accountability by the United States CBP is failing him right now. It's failing everybody. It's taking from everyone who seeks refuge here — those seeking freedom and equality,' Crystal said at a rally outside the airport, where friends and family chanted 'Free Max now' and demanded action from both US and Philippine authorities. Londonio's case echoes other recent detentions of Filipino green card holders, including Lewelyn Dixon, who was arrested at the same airport in February. At least four Filipino green card holders are currently being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, according to Tanggol Migrante. Efforts to secure support from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, which has jurisdiction over Washington state, have been met with bureaucratic delays and limited communication, according to NBC News. Crystal said the consulate's emergency hotline provided vague answers, and Assistance to Nationals Officer Bernice Santayana did not respond for two days. On May 19, the consulate confirmed Londonio was not in ICE detention, a fact easily verified online, and admitted they had been unable to contact CBP. 'We are enraged that the Philippine government did not intervene quickly enough to fight for Max's release,' said Jo Faralan of Tanggol Migrante. 'Crystal already feels the US government has failed her. It's shameful that the Philippine government has failed them too.' The Philippine embassy and consulates in the US have stated they are providing 'appropriate consular assistance,' but advocates say this response falls short. Tanggol Migrante has called for greater accountability from officials including San Francisco Consul General Neil Ferrer and Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, with an open letter signed by more than 100 organisations. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Filipino father with green card detained at Sea-Tac Airport, ICE facility bound
The Brief Maximo Londonio, a Filipino green card holder, has been detained at Sea-Tac Airport for the past five days. Londonio is a longtime legal immigrant, and faces possible transfer to an ICE facility due to past convictions. Advocacy groups and his union are calling for his release; ICE has not commented on the situation. SEATAC, Wash. - A local father and longtime legal immigrant has been held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for the past five days, and could be transferred to an ICE facility at any moment. The backstory According to the migrant-led campaign group "Tanggol Migrante Network," Filipino green card holder Maximo Londonio has been detained at Sea-Tac Airport since May 15, following a trip to the Philippines with his family. The group claims Londonio was taken in front of his wife and kids, and are demanding his release. They say he's only been fed instant noodles and feels forgotten. "The lack of accountability by the United States CBP is failing him right now; it's failing everybody. It's being taken from everyone that seeks refuge here; that seeks freedom; that seeks equality. I'm tired of waiting. I want him home," said Crystal, Max's wife, at a rally on Monday. Londonio has "older, non-violent convictions," the Tanggol Migrante Network acknowledged. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 695 confirmed Londonio is a lead forklift driver at a facility in Lacey, where he's worked since 2017. The union president released a statement calling for his release, and says they are working with their employer to maintain his job. Londonio's detainment comes months after Lewelyn Dixon, a Filipina lab technician at the University of Washington, was also taken away by Customs at Sea-Tac Airport. Dixon holds a green card, and was taken to the Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, possibly over an embezzlement conviction back in 2001. FOX 13 Seattle has reached out to ICE for comment on these cases and if Londonio has been transferred to ICE detention. We are waiting to hear back. The Source Information in this story is from the Tanggol Migrante Network and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews. Is Tacoma's Teekah Lewis cold case finally coming to a close? Here's what we know Over 100 Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores to close, including 8 in WA Marymoor Park announces 2025 summer concert series lineup in Redmond, WA Olympia, WA man dies at Grand Canyon after lengthy hike Washington raising price of Discover Pass To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Washington state man detained by immigration agents at Seattle airport after family vacation
A Washington state man, who came to the United States from the Philippines as a young child and is a green card holder, was detained by immigration agents as he returned from vacation with his family. Maximo Londonio, 42, was detained Thursday at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, organizers with the community group Tanggol Migrante Network WA said at a news conference on Monday. The group is assisting Londonio's wife, Crystal Londonio, as she fights his case. "Four days is too long," Crystal said through tears. "The lack of accountability by the United States Customs and Border Protection is failing him right now. ... I'm a U.S. citizen, you failed me." CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Tanggol Migrante Network WA said Maximo, a father of three who lives in Olympia, immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines at 12 years old. A member of the group said he and his family have traveled back and forth from the Philippines in the past with no issues. Maximo, his wife, and their 12-year-old daughter landed at the airport on Thursday when he was pulled aside by CBP agents and then detained. The group believes his detainment may be connected to nonviolent convictions from when he was a young adult. "He's not violent," Crystal said at the news conference. "He's always been willing to go the extra mile. ... I just want somebody to go the extra mile for him." She described her husband as "hard-working," "family-oriented," and "loving." "I want to know if he's OK," she said, telling reporters and members of the community that she has received little information since his detention. Londonio's detention comes amid President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. Among them is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, from Maryland, who was arrested by immigration agents and deported to El Salvador in March after the Trump administration accused him of being a member of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang. This article was originally published on
