Ugandan minister Steven Tendo, who faced brutal torture abroad, detained by ICE in Vermont

Ugandan Minister Detained by ICE in Vermont, Faces Possible Deportation

Federal immigration agents detained Ugandan minister and nursing assistant Steven Tendo outside his workplace in Shelburne, Vermont on Wednesday morning, according to reports from his union and the advocacy group Migrant Justice.

After being taken into custody, Tendo was transported to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Manchester, New Hampshire, before being transferred to Strafford County Jail in Dover—one of several facilities ICE uses to hold immigration detainees in New England.

Advocacy groups expressed “significant concern” about the possibility of Tendo’s deportation, though they emphasized the situation remains uncertain. His attorneys are pursuing legal challenges in New Hampshire to secure his release.

The detention came unexpectedly, just two days before Tendo’s regularly scheduled check-in with ICE that was set for Friday. His union, UVMMC Support Staff United, which represents staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center, stated they were not aware of any criminal charges against Tendo prior to his detention. ICE officials did not respond to requests for information regarding the reasons behind Tendo’s detention.

Tendo fled Uganda in 2018 after suffering brutal torture at the hands of government forces who viewed his advocacy organization as a political threat. His asylum application, filed upon arrival at the U.S. southern border, was denied in 2019 after a federal judge cited inconsistencies in his account—a ruling Tendo disputed as unrelated to his need for protection. Multiple appeals of this decision proved unsuccessful.

During his time in Uganda, Tendo endured horrific treatment, including being placed in a pit with a live python, hung from a board with a brick tied to his genitals, and having two fingers from his left hand cut off with wire cutters, according to federal court records and Tendo’s own accounts. He has described returning to Uganda as “a death sentence.”

Despite the rejection of his asylum claim, Tendo had been permitted to live and work in Vermont since 2021, required only to report regularly to ICE regarding his whereabouts. His attorneys filed a petition with the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals in November 2025 seeking to formally prevent his removal.

This is not the first time Tendo has faced detention. After initially arriving at the U.S. southern border in Texas and applying for asylum, he spent over two years in detention at the Port Isabel Detention Center. He narrowly avoided deportation in 2020 when ICE granted a reprieve following pressure from advocates and members of Congress, releasing him in early 2021 on humanitarian parole.

Tendo faced another possible deportation in 2022 after moving to Vermont, but ICE leaders granted his lawyers’ request to postpone deportation for at least a year. As recently as January 2025, following President Trump’s return to office, Tendo was unexpectedly summoned to an ICE check-in in St. Albans. Though he feared detention at that time, he was allowed to leave freely.

Vermont’s congressional delegation—Representative Becca Balint and Senators Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders—issued a joint statement expressing horror at Tendo’s detention.

“Pastor Tendo fled persecution and torture in Uganda and has lived peacefully in Vermont for many years as a valued member of our community,” the delegation stated. “People like Pastor Tendo are exactly who our asylum system is meant to protect.”

Following news of Tendo’s detention, approximately 50 supporters gathered for a rally outside ICE’s St. Albans facility Wednesday morning. Video footage from the demonstration showed participants chanting, “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!”

Tendo’s case has garnered support from international human rights groups and dozens of members of Congress over the years, highlighting ongoing tensions in the U.S. immigration system’s handling of asylum seekers who have established community ties but lack formal legal status.