US ICE detains son of slain Filipino journalist in California
Mark Louis Santiago Mabasa, the son of murdered journalist Percy Lapid, was taken into custody by ICE at a processing center in Adelanto, California.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that Mark Louis Santiago Mabasa, the son of slain Filipino journalist Percy Lapid, is being held at the ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California. Mabasa entered the United States in February 2023, months after his father was shot dead near his home in Paranaque. He filed an asylum claim before the Trump administration introduced a new policy targeting asylum seekers, a timing his uncle Roy Mabasa says is significant.
Following Lapid’s murder, the family received death threats, a situation that drew a statement of grave concern from the US embassy. Authorities have identified former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Batnag as a suspected mastermind in the killing, though he remains at large. Migrant-rights advocates note that Mabasa was detained after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from a performance in Chicago on September 21.
Why it matters
The detention highlights ongoing safety concerns for families of journalists and the complexities of US asylum processes.
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