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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787824623715nurse.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Mariae Nacu, a 22-year-old Filipino registered nurse in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo courtesy of Joshua Perea/GoFundMe </div>PHOENIX, Arizona — The family and loved ones of 22-year-old registered nurse Mariae Nacu, known to family and friends as “LC,” are appealing for support from the community after she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Phoenix, Arizona. Nacu works as a registered nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. According to her boyfriend, Joshua Tapiceria Perea, RN, BSN, Nacu has valid employment authorization. Perea said Nacu was taken into ICE custody at an airport in Phoenix. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Perea states that she was later transferred to the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. The family has asked that specific details of Nacu’s immigration case and any identifying case information not be made public while legal proceedings are ongoing. <div>Family and friends left in shock </div>Perea said Nacu’s detention came unexpectedly and has taken an emotional toll on those closest to her. “Her detention has put all of her family and friends into shock,” Perea told ABS-CBN News. “We were not expecting something like this to happen, especially to someone who has been working legally with valid employment authorization.” Perea said he and Nacu met while attending college in Arizona and have been together for several years. He is also a registered nurse and currently works in Northern California. The couple has maintained a long-distance relationship between California and Arizona as they built their respective nursing careers. According to Perea, the couple had already been discussing marriage and their future together before Nacu was detained. “We have talked about marriage and building our future together for a long time, and our plan was to get married after we both finished school and became established in our careers,” he said. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Nacu’s detention, Perea said they remain committed to those plans. The experience has also created fear among members of Nacu’s family. “Her family is also much more cautious and fearful now because we do not know what to expect or whether something similar could happen to another family member,” Perea said. <div>Concerns over treatment while in custody </div>Perea also relayed concerns Nacu shared with her loved ones about her treatment following her detention. According to Perea, Nacu told them she was held for hours without access to water and was provided food that she described as inedible and served on dirty plates. Nacu also told her loved ones that she was restrained at both her arms and legs while being transported alongside a group of male detainees, Perea said. These accounts were provided by Nacu to her loved ones and relayed to ABS-CBN News by Perea. The family has requested that further details surrounding the circumstances of her detention be coordinated with them or their legal counsel because of the ongoing immigration proceedings. <div>Appeal for legal and financial support </div>Nacu’s loved ones are now asking the public, including members of the Filipino community, to help spread awareness about her situation and assist with mounting legal expenses. “Our main priority right now is getting Mariae home and making sure she has the legal support she needs while her case moves forward,” Perea said. According to Perea, the family’s legal team has advised them to prepare for a possible bond ranging from approximately $15,000 to $35,000 based on what they have seen in similar cases. No bond amount has officially been set in Nacu’s case. Perea said the family has also been advised that legal expenses could potentially reach upwards of $20,000 as the case continues. A GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Bring LC Home”, organized by Perea, has been established to help cover immigration attorney fees, a potential bond, court and filing costs, and other expenses while Nacu remains detained and unable to work. Perea said financial contributions are not the only way people can help. “Anything can help,” he said. “Even if someone cannot donate, sharing Mariae’s story or the GoFundMe can help us reach more people and bring greater awareness to her situation.” The fundraiser describes Nacu as a registered nurse who has worked to build her life in the United States while caring for patients in Phoenix. It states that she came to the United States legally, has a pending immigration case, valid work authorization and no criminal history. For Nacu’s family and loved ones, the immediate focus remains on securing the legal assistance she needs and bringing the young nurse home. “Our main priority right now is getting Mariae home and making sure she has the legal support she needs while her case moves forward,” Perea said. <div><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-lc-home">GoFundMe: “Help Bring LC Home” </a>— organized by Joshua Perea.</div><div> </div><div>  </div>

The family and loved ones of 22-year-old registered nurse Mariae Nacu, known to family and friends as “LC,” are appealing for support from the community after she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Phoenix, Arizona.

The family and loved ones of 22-year-old registered nurse Mariae Nacu, known to family and friends as “LC,” are appealing for support from the community after she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Phoenix, Arizona.

Filipino nurse detained by ICE in Arizona; family appeals for support

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Filipino nurse detained by ICE in Arizona; family appeals for support

ABS-CBN News,

John Saavedra

Published August 27, 2026 06:00 PM PHT

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Mariae Nacu

ICE

US immigration

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