ICE holds man with stage 4 cancer in detention despite permanent US residency
ICE spokesperson says Loreto Javar failed to disclose criminal conviction in Philippines when he applied for visa A 76-year-old man holding permanent US residency and grappling with stage four prostate cancer is reportedly being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in Tacoma, Washington . Federal immigration officials detained Loreto Javar during his US citizenship…
A 76-year-old Filipino man with stage four prostate cancer, Loreto Javar, is currently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tacoma, Washington. Javar holds permanent residency in the US, having moved there in 1995. Despite having no criminal history in the US, he was detained during his US citizenship interview in June after failing to disclose a conviction in the Philippines from the 1970s.
Javar had served three years in jail in the Philippines before being released on parole. He has renewed his permanent residency multiple times without issue and applied for US citizenship in November 2025. His daughter, Daisy Javar, stated that her father had always followed the rules and paid his taxes. The Seattle Times reported that ICE officials claimed Javar's disclosure would have made him ineligible for entry to the US at the time of his original application, and therefore, ineligible to remain in the US now.
Javar, a retired hotel worker, has been receiving treatment for his advanced prostate cancer, but his medication schedule has been disrupted due to late meal deliveries and midnight dinners. An online petition by the Filipino migrant advocacy group Tanggol Migrante Movement urges his release, citing the interruption of his cancer treatment and the lack of support from the Philippine consulate.
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