LOS ANGELES — A 70-year-old Filipino grandmother and lawful permanent resident is facing deportation after living in the United States for more than four decades, raising serious concerns about her health and survival if forced to return to the Philippines.
Rebecca Pinyerd, who suffers from severe kidney disease, thyroid complications, and uncontrolled high blood pressure, has been in immigration detention for the past nine months, according to her family and migrant rights group Tanggol Migrante. Advocates say her medical condition has significantly worsened due to alleged medical neglect inside detention facilities.
John Emiliano of Tanggol Migrante Chicago (TMC) told Inquirer.net USA that placing Pinyerd on a long-haul deportation flight could endanger her life.
“Putting Tita Rebecca on a long flight would have exacerbated her conditions and put her life at risk,” Emiliano said.
Deportation Flight Temporarily Halted
Pinyerd was scheduled to be deported to the Philippines on January 2, but advocates successfully pressured United Airlines to cancel the flight, pending medical clearance confirming her fitness to travel.
TMC organized a phone and email campaign, supported by medical testimonies, urging the airline to halt the deportation flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Dr. Dominic Robolino, speaking at a press conference outside the Philippine Consulate in Chicago, warned that Pinyerd’s uncontrolled blood pressure places her at high risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots) during long-distance travel, which could lead to lung damage or sudden death.
Pinyerd was set to be transferred from a federal detention facility in Clay County, Indiana, to the airport the night before her scheduled flight.
Nationwide Support and Calls for Medical Care
On December 30, TMC held a national unity call attended by more than 300 supporters nationwide, including healthcare workers, union members, migrant advocates, and community leaders. The group called for an immediate stop to the deportation and demanded proper medical examination and treatment for the ailing grandmother.
“We shall keep fighting for Tita Rebecca to be treated with the care and respect she deserves and until she is free,” TMC said in a statement.
TMC also urged the Philippine Consulate in Chicago to assist in ensuring Pinyerd has access to medication, to push ICE to release her full medical records, and to guarantee an independent medical evaluation.
Family Appeals for Compassion
According to her daughter April Lowe, Pinyerd was arrested more than two decades ago on drug-related charges and spent 19 years in prison. After her release, she rebuilt her life in North Carolina, remained active in church, and complied with annual check-ins with the Department of Homeland Security.
“She’s been active in the church, she donates, she wakes up at 4 in the morning and goes for walks,” Lowe told CBS News.
Pinyerd was taken into custody during her March 2025 DHS check-in, sparking renewed calls for humanitarian relief.