A last-minute medical intervention halted the deportation of a Filipino man from the United States after advocates warned that his deteriorating condition and months of alleged neglect in immigration custody had put his life at risk.
Greggy Valerio Sorio, a 37-year-old long-time US resident affectionately known as Kuya G, had already boarded a plane bound for Manila on Sunday night when Philippine Airlines medical staff reportedly intervened, citing his condition.
He was returned to the Northwest ICE Processing Centre in Tacoma, Washington, shortly before take-off, according to the Inquirer.
Sorio, a green card holder who had lived in the US for more than two decades, was arrested at his workplace in March.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Seattle said he had previous convictions for assault, theft and other offences, according to Rappler.
But the Inquirer reported in October that Sorio had fled the Philippines seeking asylum, claiming persecution for his activism against former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war – and that he had no prior criminal record.
During his months in ICE custody, Sorio’s health rapidly declined. According to the advocacy group Tanggol Migrante, he experienced severe abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding and lost about 10kg (22lb) in weight.