Elderly green card holder held in ICE facility
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The gist
ICE detained 76-year-old green card holder Loreto Javar with stage 4 cancer on Jun 23. He has missed oncology appointments, sparking calls for humane treatment.
Background
Loreto Javar, a Filipino green card holder living in Washington for over 30 years, was taken into ICE custody during a citizenship interview in Tukwila on June 23. He has been held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma despite serious health issues, including stage 4 prostate cancer and COPD. His daughter and advocacy groups like Tanggol Migrante argue his detention is endangering his health by causing him to miss critical treatments. The case highlights broader concerns about ICE detaining legal immigrants, including those with medical conditions.
How it unfolded
- Jun 23, 2026Loreto Javar was taken into ICE custody during a U.S. citizenship interview in Tukwila, Washington.
- Jul 30, 2026The Dilley facility in Texas held 539 people, including adults and children, as reported in a related case.
- Aug 28, 2026Congressman Joaquin Castro visited the Dilley facility for the ninth time this year, highlighting ICE detention of a military family member.
- Aug 31, 2026Newsweek reported that Javar had been detained for over two months, missing critical treatments; his daughter called the treatment 'inhumane.'
- Sep 1, 2026Inquirer.net reported that Javar's detention was due to a decades-old criminal conviction in the Philippines, and advocates sought release on medical grounds.
Who’s saying what
- Family
- Daisy Javar said, 'I just want them to treat people humanely. It's inhumane how they treat people when they just grab them everywhere.'
- Advocates
- Moe Cinco of Tanggol Migrante Movement said Javar will miss his third oncology appointment, arguing continued detention puts him at greater risk.
- Official
- ICE has not publicly commented on Javar's case; the agency's actions are based on a decades-old conviction, according to reports.
Still unverified
The specific nature of Javar's decades-old criminal conviction in the Philippines has not been independently verified; details of his medical condition are based on family statements.