A 56-year-old Marshallese man in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following his conviction for sexual assault of a five-year-old child in Washington County, Arkansas, passed away Saturday at the Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana. The preliminary cause of death was reported by hospital medical officials to be complications of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Romien Jally was pronounced dead at 8:19 a.m. (CDT) by medical professionals at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. Jally was initially admitted to the Winn Parish Medical Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, on August 25, 2020, with a diagnosis of COVID-19. He was subsequently transferred to Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital on August 28 for higher-level care following an additional diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia.
Jally initially entered the U.S. lawfully on October 24, 2003, in Honolulu, Hawaii, under the Compact of Free Association as a nonimmigrant. Jally was taken into ICE custody on May 1, 2020, at the Washington County Jail in Fayetteville, Arkansas, following his conviction that same day of second-degree sexual assault for exposing himself and inappropriately touching a five-year-old child. After registering as a sex offender, Jally was transferred to the Winn Correctional Center after being served a Notice of Intent to Issue a Final Administrative Removal Order pursuant to his conviction for an aggravated felony, which made him subject to removal under federal law.
At the time of his death, Jally was pending removal to the Marshall Islands in accordance with a final administrative removal order issued August 4, 2020.
