Steven Tendo, an asylum-seeker who lives in Colchester, is out of prison and back in Vermont after a federal judge ordered his release Friday.
Federal immigration authorities arrested Tendo, a health care worker and pastor from Uganda, on Feb. 4 in the parking lot of an assisted living facility in Shelburne where he works. He was held for two weeks at Strafford County Corrections in Dover, New Hampshire.
Tendo, who says he was imprisoned and tortured by the Ugandan government, has been fighting to reopen his asylum application, which was denied in 2019.
He has been allowed to remain in the United States as long as he attends regularly scheduled check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He had one of those scheduled in early February, but federal immigration authorities arrested him days before that meeting, according to an order from New Hampshire District Court Judge Joseph Laplante.
In his order, Laplante wrote that federal immigration authorities failed to follow the proper procedures when they revoked the order that allowed Tendo to remain supervised in the community. Because ICE didn’t follow protocol, Laplante ordered Tendo’s release. Seven Days first reported the judge’s decision on Friday.
“My detention was unnecessary,” Tendo told Vermont Public on Monday. “I’ve followed the rules. I haven’t given them any loophole or excuse to do what they did but they did it anyway.”
Tendo has a check-in scheduled with ICE next month and several motions pending with the Board of Immigration Appeals, including one asking for a pause in the final order of removal that ICE could use to deport him, said Chris Worth, one of Tendo’s attorneys.
“If the Board of Immigration Appeals reopens the case, that will stop his removal, and that will give him the opportunity to argue that his life is in danger in Uganda,” Worth said.
Worth said he’s hopeful that ICE won’t detain Tendo at the March check-in.
“If that does happen, then his legal team will have to respond again,” Worth said. “And at this point, we're also investigating other avenues for immigration relief that he might be eligible for.”
A spokesperson for ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
Tendo’s detention earlier this month sparked widespread condemnation from the medical and faith communities. Vermont’s congressional delegation also said they were “horrified” by Tendo’s detention.
The University of Vermont Medical Center, where Tendo works as a licensed nursing assistant, said in a written statement Monday they were relieved that Tendo had been released.
“We look forward to welcoming him back to our team and supporting him as he continues his studies to become a registered nurse,” said Annie Mackin, a spokesperson for the hospital.
Tendo said on Monday he was grateful for the support he’s received from Vermonters — and it’s energized him to keep fighting to stay here.
“I still want to believe that justice will prevail,” Tendo said. “I feel more protected and secured by the community, more than ever before.”
