By ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org
Steven Tendo, the Ugandan pastor and asylum-seeker from Vermont who was detained at the Strafford County Department of Corrections in Dover for 16 days, has been released from custody and a federal judge in Concord ruled that he was unlawfully re-detained by immigration agents.
His attorney Christopher Worth said Tendo is doing much better now and is very happy to be back home in Vermont among his community.
“The judge’s order did a very good job of setting up the law and facts. Many courts have found that when someone is subject to supervision, that when it’s revoked, the person who’s subject to supervision has a right to due process, a right of notice as to why it’s being revoked, for written notice, and the right for an interview promptly after being detained… None of those things happened in this case,” Worth said.
Worth said the remedy was for Tendo to be returned to the previous conditions of his order of supervision, and released from custody.
“Steven is an amazing person, and he adds a lot to his community in Vermont. We’re very happy to see the community rally behind him,” Worth added.
Tendo, who had support from faith communities in Vermont and New Hampshire, posted online a note of gratitude.
“On February 4th, I was detained by ICE and held for 16 days. Those days were heavy, but even amid fear and uncertainty, I felt the strength of a community that refused to let me stand alone.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to every person who fought for my safety and my return to Vermont. My remarkable legal team worked tirelessly and with unwavering commitment. My friends stood with courage and love…
“To all of you: thank you. Your compassion, your solidarity, and your belief in human dignity carried me through a moment that could have broken me. You reminded me that hope is not an abstract idea; it is something we build together, one act of courage at a time.
“As I return to my work with ELOI Ministries, I do so with renewed purpose. I am committed to continuing the mission that has always guided us: creating a community where every person—regardless of their background, journey, or struggle can live with safety, justice, dignity, and hope. Your support has strengthened my resolve to serve with even greater love, humility, and determination,” Tendo wrote.
A habeas corpus petition filed by his legal team argued that “Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contravened its own regulations when revoking his release by failing to provide a meaningful, individualized basis for his re-detention sufficient to give him notice and opportunity to respond.”
The agency had previously granted Tendo supervised release after he was detained from 2018-2021, the document stated. Tendo then filed an application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture and alleged that he left Uganda after suffering “significant torture” at the hands of Ugandan security services.
One day prior to Tendo’s most recent stay of removal expiring on Feb. 3, his counsel had emailed the ICE Boston Field Office to inform the agency that Tendo intended to apply for another stay of removal in connection with his immigration check-in on Feb. 6.
Then, on Feb. 4, he was detained by ICE agents outside of the assisted living facility where he works in Vermont as several ICE vehicles surrounded him. Upon being arrested, the document notes that they “did not, at the time, provide him with a warrant for his arrest or a revocation of release.”