On Wednesday morning, Steven Tendo, a Ugandan nursing assistant and minister, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside a health care facility where he works in Shelburne, Vermont. Tendo, who moved to the U.S. in 2021 seeking asylum after fleeing persecution in his home country, is currently being held at the Strafford County Jail in Dover, New Hampshire.
Tendo's detention has raised alarm among advocacy groups like Migrant Justice and his union, UVMMC Support Staff United, leading to fears of imminent deportation. Will Lambek, an organizer with Migrant Justice, reported that Tendo was arrested during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with ICE, scheduled for the following Friday.
As advocates rally support for Tendo, they highlight the danger of returning him to Uganda, where he has previously suffered brutal torture due to his political activism. Documentation of his horrific past includes accounts where he was subjected to severe human rights abuses, including torture by government forces.
Local Vermont lawmakers, including Democratic U.S. Rep Becca Balint and Senators Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders, have publicly condemned Tendo’s detention. They emphasize that he is a valued member of the community who escaped persecution and belongs to the very group the U.S. asylum system is designed to protect. The lawmakers have called for Tendo to be granted due process and to remain in the U.S.
Tendo's legal challenges have been ongoing since his asylum application was denied in 2019. Since then, he has been living in Vermont under the condition of humanitarian parole, periodically checking in with ICE. His latest detention, however, raises the prospect of removal despite prior assurances from immigration officials allowing him to live and work in safety.
According to reports, Tendo's previous asylum attempt was marked by inconsistencies noted by a federal judge, but his advocates argue that these should not overshadow the threats to his life upon return. Following Tendo's detention, local community members demonstrated outside ICE facilities, calling to support immigrants and denounce hate.
As Tendo's lawyers pursue legal avenues to challenge his detention, the public and political response continues to grow, reflecting a broader conversation about immigration and the treatment of asylum seekers in the United States.
