A Filipino nursing assistant detained in the United States was released from the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has been repatriated to Manila, the Consulate General in New York said yesterday.
The consulate said Dhenmark Francisco, who was arrested and charged by the Ocean County prosecutor’s office in New Jersey for allegedly assaulting a patient at a rehabilitation facility, was released last week.
The statement from the consulate added that Francisco’s release was a “result of its regular and repeated coordination with ICE Boston.”
The Consulate’s Assistance to National Section said they coordinated closely with the ICE to expedite Francisco’s release and repatriation to Manila.
Consul General Senen Mangalile also visited Francisco at the ICE detention facility in Massachusetts to assess his condition and welfare.
Francisco said another Filipino, identified as Jovi Esperanza, was charged with aggravated assault after an altercation with a 52-year-old male patient at the Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility in Berkeley Township in New Jersey on October 14 last year; the patient was left in critical condition
Francisco and Esperanza claimed they acted in self-defense when the patient became aggressive after he was reprimanded for smoking. They added that the patient attacked them first.
Esperanza chose voluntary deportation to the Philippines last January while Francisco remained in detention.
Francisco has a work permit, while Esperanza is an undocumented foreigner.
The consulate said it provided legal assistance to Francisco and Esperanza, taking $10,000 from its legal assistance fund to help defray their legal expenses.
“The Philippine Embassy and Consulates General have been extending appropriate consular assistance to detained Filipino nationals to ensure they are treated according to the law and that their well-being is protected,” the consulate added.
At the same time, it said that they are working continuously with the Filipino community to ensure that their welfare is protected, especially amid the immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.
It added that consulate officials are working “quietly, steadily and effectively” at their job.
Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said several Filipinos are currently undergoing deportation proceedings, including an individual working as a teacher in Georgia on charges of child pornography.
