A Filipino nurse assistant has been deported back to the Philippines after facing assault charges in New Jersey, the Philippine Consulate General in New York confirmed.
Denmark Francisco, who had been detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Massachusetts, was returned to the Philippines following an order from the U.S. Immigration Court. The consulate said Consul General Senen Mangalile personally checked on Francisco’s welfare during his time in detention.
Francisco, along with fellow Filipino Jovi Esperanza, was accused of assaulting a 52-year-old male patient at a rehabilitation facility in Ocean County. The victim was reported to be in critical but stable condition.
The two suspects were previously held at the Ocean County Jail before being transferred to ICE custody. Esperanza opted for voluntary deportation and was sent home in February.
According to both men, the alleged assault stemmed from an act of self-defense after the patient reportedly lashed out when they told him not to smoke inside the facility.
