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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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A 76-year-old man whose daughter says he has stage 4 prostate cancer was detained by federal immigration officials for more than two months, causing him to miss several critical treatments, relatives and advocates said.
Loreto Javar, of Fife, Washington, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on June 23 during an interview for his U.S. citizenship application in Tukwila. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma until his September 1 release on an order of recognizance.
The green card holder originally from the Philippines was detained despite several serious ailments, including what his 52-year-old daughter, Daisy Javar, described as stage 4 prostate cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He is a retired hotel employee and married father of two.
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Daisy Javar spoke with Newsweek following a hearing during which an immigration judge granted an extension in her father's case to September 20. But the delay caused Loreto Javar to miss another scheduled oncology appointment, according to his daughter. She also alleged that sporadic mealtimes in custody complicated his recovery.
"It's always late," she said. "He's getting medication and he needs to be eating on time. But the medications have been given on time, luckily."
Daisy said federal immigration officials detained her father during what had been expected to be a routine citizenship interview, alleging that he had been entrapped prior to his arrest.
"I think so, I really think so," she said. "They know already that he's coming ... it's true, now I'm thinking about that."
Daisy declined to discuss further details of what led to her father's detention, but court documents cited by the Seattle Times indicate federal officials allege he was involved in an altercation in the 1970s in the Philippines that left one person dead. He told immigration officials during his arrest that he had served roughly three years in jail in the Philippines before being released on parole, the outlet reported.
In a statement to Newsweek, a DHS spokesperson said ICE arrested Javar, identified as Javar Loreto-Ruiz, on June 23 and alleged he failed to disclose a homicide charge in the Philippines when entering the United States in 1995. DHS said Javar was legally admitted to the U.S. through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on August 5, 1995. The agency said he "was released with an order of recognizance on September 1" and "will receive due process."
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The spokesperson also disputed claims that Javar's medical needs were not being addressed while in detention. According to DHS, medical staff conducted a comprehensive screening upon his arrival in ICE custody and procured medication after he reported a history of prostate cancer. However, the agency said Javar was unable to provide medical records confirming the diagnosis and that testing conducted while in detention found "no evidence" of a current prostate cancer diagnosis.
DHS said additional testing revealed elevated diabetes levels that were immediately treated and managed, and that Javar is currently in a "stable, well-managed condition."
"It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody," the spokesperson said, adding that detainees have access to medical, dental and mental health services, as well as emergency care.
Daisy, however, said her father's experience in detention did not match those claims.
"I just want them to treat people humanely," she told Newsweek. "It's inhumane how they treat people when they just grab them everywhere."
Moe Cinco, an organizer for the Tanggol Migrante Movement, a grassroots organization that advocated for Javar's release, said the ailing elderly man missed his third oncology appointment after an immigration judge granted an extension in his case.
Cinco said Javar had been "languishing in the detention center" and separated from his cancer treatment before his release.
The group is calling on Philippine consulate officials in Seattle to support the 76-year-old as his immigration case proceeds. Consulate officials have not responded to repeated requests for help by Javar's family, Cinco said.
"The consulate has a duty to protect their national," he said. "But they are not following through on that thus far."
A petition created by Tanggol Migrante officials calling for consulate intervention garnered more than 150 signatures while Javar remained in ICE custody.
"No national should have to beg their own government to defend them," the petition reads. "We refuse to accept a Philippine government that depends on the labor and remittances of overseas Filipinos while failing to protect those same Filipinos when they are subjected to repression abroad."
The petition continued: "For nearly three decades, he worked, raised his family, and contributed to the community. He was detained by ICE while attending his U.S. citizenship interview—a process he pursued in good faith."
Multiple inquiries sent to the Philippine Consulate General in Seattle were not returned.
Meanwhile, Javar's family and supporters have continued to advocate on his behalf as his immigration case proceeds.
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