A 35-year-old Guyanese man has died here approximately four months after he was deported from the United States, with his relatives alleging that his longstanding mental illness was not adequately considered during the immigration proceedings.
According to a report by NBC10 Philadelphia, Kwesi Menezes was found unresponsive in Guyana on August 30. His family believes that he overdosed on medication prescribed for schizophrenia.
Menezes, who grew up in Burlington County, New Jersey, was a lawful permanent resident of the United States, commonly referred to as a green-card holder. His relatives told NBC10 that he had struggled with mental illness for several years and had moved between mental-health institutions and the criminal-justice system.
His sister, Shane Menezes Banjo, said the family learnt on the morning of August 30 that he had been found unresponsive. At the time of the television report, relatives were attempting to have his remains returned to the United States for burial.
Menezes had previously been imprisoned following his conviction for aggravated assault on a police officer. His family said the incident occurred during a mental-health episode. He was subsequently detained for an alleged probation violation and, according to his relatives, transferred to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in November 2025.
In December, the US Department of Homeland Security included Menezes among foreign nationals publicised through its “Worst of the Worst” immigration-enforcement initiative.
Stabroek News reported on December 14, 2025 that Menezes had been arrested by ICE in Mount Holly, New Jersey, following his conviction for aggravated assault on a police officer. He was among eight Guyanese identified at the time in connection with the DHS enforcement campaign.
His family, however, has objected to the way he was characterised by the US authorities, arguing that the description failed to take account of his psychiatric condition and its effect on his behaviour and ability to understand the proceedings against him.
His mother, Sharon Menezes, questioned whether her son had been capable of comprehending what was taking place while he was in immigration custody. The family said that despite his permanent-resident status and mental-health history, he was deported to Guyana in April.
A subsequent report by TheGrio said Menezes spent several months in Guyana before his death. The report also attributed the account that he overdosed on his schizophrenia medication to his family.
Menezes’s relatives have contended that his death raises broader questions about the treatment of immigrants suffering from serious psychiatric illnesses. They said they decided to speak publicly in the hope that mental-health conditions would receive greater consideration in immigration and deportation cases.
There has been no publicly reported response from ICE to the family’s specific allegations about Menezes’s mental condition or the circumstances surrounding his deportation.
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