Filipino nursing aide Jovi Esperanza has returned to the Philippines after choosing voluntary deportation following his three-month detention in the U.S., according to a GMA News report, citing the Migrante New Jersey.
Esperanza, 31, had been held at the Strafford County Correctional Facility in New Hampshire along with fellow Filipino Dhenmark Francisco. Both were charged with aggravated assault in connection with an October 2024 incident at a New Jersey rehabilitation center, where they were accused of attacking a 52-year-old patient, leaving him in critical condition. The two maintained that they acted in self-defense after being attacked first.
Before his departure on January 29, Esperanza expressed his gratitude to Migrante New Jersey for their support, saying it helped him endure the ordeal.
“I didn’t personally know any of you, but your support meant so much to me,” he said in a video call with the group.
AJ Santos of Migrante later confirmed that Esperanza had safely arrived in the Philippines and reunited with his family.
Meanwhile, Francisco remains in custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Massachusetts.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had allocated funds for the legal assistance of both Esperanza and Francisco. However, Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega noted that the amount could not be disbursed to Esperanza while he was in detention.
