Filipino sanitation worker detained by ICE during commute, community leaders mobilize for release
Jul 24, 2026 · Jersey City, NJ, Philippines

Raul Raagas, a 63-year-old Filipino immigrant from Cebu City, was detained by ICE on July 24, 2026, while commuting to work in New Jersey, and is being held at the CoreCivic Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth. Raagas has lived in the United States for over three decades, settling in Jersey City in the late 1990s where he met his wife Janet and raised two children while working in sanitation services. He is a member of LIUNA Local 741 and is described as "a quiet, hardworking man who keeps to himself and always shows up for others." His detention has caused emotional and financial hardship for his family, as he is the primary household provider. Jersey City Councilman Rolando R. Lavarro Jr. and New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga, the first Filipino American elected to the New York State Legislature, have mobilized to secure his release, coordinating legal support and pushing for a bond hearing or humanitarian release while his case is reviewed.
Sources
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