Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

Family of Filipino Veterans To Lose Special Immigration Status

Filipino veterans, family members and supporters join in the annual parade honoring their service. (Photo courtesy of The Valor Project)
Filipino veterans, family members and supporters join in the annual parade honoring their service.
(
Rodney Cajudo/Valor Project
)

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your tax-deductible donation now.

The Trump administration says it’s ending a program designed to reunite Filipino World War II veterans with family. Their advocates say the policy change will be deeply felt in LA, home to the country’s largest Filipino American community.

During World War II, a quarter million men fought in their native Philippines alongside Americans against the Japanese. Some of these soldiers later became U.S. citizens. They petitioned to bring family over. But for Filipinos, the wait for a green card is typically two decades. Then in 2016 the Obama administration let some relatives into the US pending their green card applications to be with the aging veterans and their widows. 

But that's all going to stop. 

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right