HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Detained Filipino sanitation worker reportedly untraceable in ICE system amid transfer fears

Jul 24, 2026·Location: Jersey City, NJ

Country of origin: Philippines

Detained Filipino sanitation worker reportedly untraceable in ICE system amid transfer fears
Photo via philippinedailymirror.com

Raul Raagas, a 63-year-old Filipino immigrant from Cebu City who has lived in the U.S. for over three decades and worked in sanitation in Jersey City, was detained by ICE on July 24, 2026, and held at the CoreCivic Elizabeth Detention Center. As of August 22, 2026, advocates with the Tanggol Migrante Movement said they could no longer locate Raagas through ICE's custody information and that his attorney believes a transfer out of state, possibly to Louisiana, may be imminent. Supporters monitored activity at the Elizabeth facility and Newark Liberty International Airport while the group contacted the Philippine Consulate General in New York for assistance and planned a protest outside the consulate. Raagas's family and local officials, including Jersey City Councilman Rolando R. Lavarro Jr. and Assemblymember Steven Raga, continue pushing for his release amid concern that a transfer could hinder his contact with family and legal counsel.

Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Sources

More incidents in New Jersey