NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles, New York Bureau) – Some 16 Filipinos were arrested in New York on Sunday.

The group was protesting the state visit to the U.S. of Philippine President Bongbong Marcos, chanting “Marcos is not welcome here.”

A few minutes into their mass action in front of the U.S. Consulate on 5th Avenue, they were swarmed by law enforcement officers, handcuffed and loaded into several vans.

No, they were not arrested for the peaceful protest. They were taken in by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) because none of them could show U.S. citizenship papers or green cards. Not even tourist visas.

They were all TNTs (Tago ng Tago), the Filipino colloquial term for undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

The Adobo Chronicles learned that the 16 will be deported to the Philippines and will be on the same plane as Marcos when he concludes his U.S. state visit.