Jersey City Councilman-at-Large Rolando R. Lavarro Jr. and New York state Assemblymember Steven Raga called Friday for the immediate release of Raul Raagas, a 63-year-old Jersey City resident and longtime member of the city’s Filipino American community who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since July 24.
Raagas, known to family and friends as “Kuya Raul,” was arrested while driving to work in New Jersey and later transferred to ICE custody. He is being held at the CoreCivic Elizabeth Detention Center in Newark.
“Raul Raagas is my constituent and my kababayan — a member of my community — a devoted father and husband who has spent more than three decades building his life in this country and this city, only to be torn from his family and held in a detention cell,” Lavarro said in a statement. “I’ve spoken with his wife, called on the court to grant him bond, and reached out to colleagues at every level of government to stand with him.”
Lavarro said he was grateful to stand with Raga and community advocates fighting for Raagas’ release. He said the case reflected a larger problem affecting immigrant families across the state and country.
Raga, who represents Little Manila in Woodside, Queens, said ICE should immediately release Raagas and return him to his family.
“It is unconscionable that Raul — a 63-year-old father of two and cherished member of his community for decades — was taken into ICE custody after being stopped for a minor traffic infraction,” Raga said. “He should be home with his family, not in ICE detention.”
Raagas was born in Cebu City, Philippines, and came to the United States in 1993. He has lived in New Jersey for more than 30 years and settled in Jersey City in the late 1990s, where he met his wife, Janet. The couple raised two children and became active members of Jersey City’s Filipino community.
On July 26, family members and advocates from Tanggol Migrante Northeast visited the Philippine Consulate in New York to request diplomatic intervention, including a wellness check, help preventing his transfer out of state and release of Assistance to Nationals funds.
Raagas’ detention has left his family without its primary provider and sparked calls from community organizations, elected officials and advocates for his release.
