The Tonog Family: NJ couple's deportation stopped, a new beginning

(Rica and Gideon Tonog with their daughter)

We were blessed with FALDEF's intervention in our legal battle.  Atty. Mallonga gave us hope and was able to develop a thoughtful, effective and thorough plan to address our problem. He took time to understand our fears, concerns and answered our legal questions.  He was a good listener, committed to help us, compassionate and accompanied us in all our court hearings which achieved our objectives and resolved our deportation order. 

With Atty. Mallonga's recommendation to involve our Filipino-American Community in Ocean County, we were able to stay. We are at peace as we  continue to hope for a better future. We also became the voice of our kababayans who are also having immigration problems.  We are grateful to FALDEF and its members for giving us hope and courage to our immigration concerns.

To our kababayans who may be in a similar situation, there is hope – thanks to the services unselfishly provided by competent professionals who comprise this noble organization - FALDEF.

~ Gideon and Rica Tonog

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Filipino Couple Gets Temporary Relief

by Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

The couple joined by community leaders and heads of various organizations.

Standing (L-R): Joji Babuschak, Fred Mariano, Dr. Ramon Suatengco, Atty. JTS Mallonga (FALDEF), Nimfa Tinana (NaFFAA), Dr. Renato Ynaya

Seated (L-R): Nancy Ynaya, Larnie Dosono, Rica, Gideon, Dr. Elena Buenviaje

TOMS RIVER, NJ - Filipino couple Gideon and Rica Tonog appealed to the Department of Homeland Security to defer their deportation last year.

Because Rica is undergoing long-term uterine cancer treatment, an immigration judge stopped the deportation last week and has allowed them to stay in America for on humanitarian grounds.

Rica said, “I prayed and thanked the Lord for the answered prayer. Our victory is the community’s victory.”

But the Tonogs’ fight to stay in America is not over.

Filipino American Legal Defense Fund (FALDEF) President and legal counsel to the Tonogs, JT Mallonga said, “It will not solve the problem because it will not give them work authorization. But the primary purpose of the legal defense coming to play is to stop the deportation proceedings.”

Couple’s bid to stave off removal supported

The Filipino - American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) has formally appealed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to defer for humanitarian reasons the deportation of a New Jersey couple as the wife undergoes a long-term treatment of uterine cancer.

The application for deferred action status on behalf of Gideon and Rica Tonog, of Toms River, N.J., was filed this week by FALDEF president J.T. Mallonga

Along with that application is a petition letter bearing nearly 2,000 signatures of community residents — many of them non-Filipinos, including three mayors from Ocean County, N.J. — citing the extensive volunteer work and community service of the couple to benefit the large Filipino-American community in the area.

Toms River. NJ Couple Facing Deportation Wishing for a Miracle

By EDMUND M. SILVESTRE | Exclusive to the Filipino Reporter

Gideon and Rica Tonog, both 37, recently received a notice of voluntary departure from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS) following the denial of Rica’s application to adjust her working permit to permanent residency after the USCIS ruled that the petitioning company — a Fil-Am-owned staffing company — had no financial capability to sponsor.

Gideon, who was a dependent of Rica in her USCIS application, had previously lost his labor certification when his sponsoring company shut down following the 9/11 tragedy.

But the Tonogs want to stay in the United States, with Rica currently undergoing aggressive treatment for severe endometriosis and endometrial hyperplasia.