Tito Ernie is 55-year-old Filipino from IL. He is a loving father, a caring husband and a hard worker. He has been a legal permanent resident for almost two decades, is a homeowner and owns a small delivery business.

Earlier this year, he went back to the Philippines to observe Holy Week with his wife when his sister unexpectedly became very ill and passed. They ended up extending their stay and, while grieving, flew back. On June 11, 2025 he was stopped by CBP as he was entering the US. For the first 48 hours, he was unsure about why he was held, for how long, and how to communicate with his family. He ended up being held at ORD for 5 days before being transferred to Broadview for 4 days. He was then taken to Clay County Indiana before taken to a detention center in Kentucky on the same day, where he is still held. Tito E has endured periods of isolation, lack of contact with family, multiple transfers and other inhumane conditions while being unjustly detained, telling his family at one point that the conditions were so bad he just felt “thankful to even be alive”.

Tito Ernie’s wife and daughters have been shouldering all of their living expenses while their primary breadwinner is detained, as well as the legal expenses and business expenses necessary to maintain so that Tito Ernie has a job to come back to when he is released. His daughters are finishing school, and his wife had to retire from her healthcare work due to an injury. The family has been in discussions with the Philippine Consulate to access their Assistance to Nationals funds, but the amount tentatively agreed upon is not nearly enough to meet the family’s needs or even to just cover the legal expenses alone. As of now, the family has still received no assistance.

Sign our petition and share a message of support here: tinyurl.com/justice4titoe

This fundraiser is hosted by Tanggol Migrante Chicago Network. If you or someone you know needs support reach out at: