Detained Cancer Patient Faces Delays in Treatment

A 76-year-old man with advanced prostate cancer has been detained by federal immigration officials for more than two months, missing vital medical treatments, according to his family and supporters.

Detention Causes Health Concerns

Loreto Javar, a resident of Fife, Washington, has been held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma since his detention on June 23 during a citizenship interview in Tukwila. Originally from the Philippines, Javar, a green card holder, is battling stage 4 prostate cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to his daughter, Daisy Javar.

Following a recent hearing, an immigration judge extended Javar’s case to September 20. This delay results in him missing another critical cancer treatment appointment. His daughter, Daisy Javar, expressed frustration over the sporadic meal schedule faced by her father while in custody, although medications have been administered timely.

Concerns Over Detention Circumstances

Daisy Javar suspects the arrest was premeditated during what was supposed to be a routine interview for citizenship. Though she refrained from discussing details, court documents indicate federal claims of Javar’s involvement in a 1970s altercation in the Philippines that resulted in someone’s death. Javar reportedly served three years in jail there before parole.

Advocacy group Tanggol Migrante Movement, represented by Moe Cinco, emphasizes the detention’s impact on Javar’s health, as he faces missing his third oncology appointment. They urge Philippine consulate officials in Seattle to advocate for Javar.

Call for Consulate Intervention

The consulate has not responded to repeated assistance requests from Javar’s family. A petition urging consulate intervention has gathered more than 150 signatures. It criticizes the Philippine government for relying on overseas Filipinos’ contributions without sufficiently protecting them abroad.

Loreto Javar, a retired hotel employee and married father of two, has been in the U.S. since 1995. He actively contributed to his community while pursuing citizenship in good faith.

According to ICE, Javar’s undisclosed criminal conviction from the Philippines during his 1995 visa application renders him ineligible for U.S. residency. Javar remains hopeful that immigration officials will release him on compassionate grounds.