Nafiou Lamidi, a 36-year-old man who was detained at a routine immigration appointment in St. Albans in May, was released on Monday after more than four months behind bars.
That followed months of advocacy on his behalf by the Northeast Kingdom Asylum Seekers’ Assistance Network, a group of volunteers that supports asylum seekers as they forge new lives in the U.S.
Lamidi was being held in a federal prison in Berlin, N.H. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire filed a habeas petition for him in federal court, arguing that he had been illegally denied a bond hearing. A federal judge granted the petition on September 11, and about a week later an immigration judge granted him a bond of $7,500.
The news came as a huge relief to the group of volunteers, who for months had taken turns visiting Lamidi in prison and stayed in touch with him through letters and phone calls.
On Monday afternoon, two volunteers drove three hours to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Burlington, Mass., where Lamidi was released from custody. When he walked out of the building, the volunteers both hugged him. Then they took him to a seafood restaurant for dinner.
“We’re happy. We’re relieved. We almost can’t believe it’s finally worked out,” said Daisy McCoy, whose spare room in Lyndon has been Lamidi’s home since he arrived in Vermont earlier this year.
He will now return there to await the outcome of his asylum case.
Lamidi fled his home country of Benin, leaving behind his wife and three children, due to threats against him, he said. He was apprehended by border agents in Arizona after crossing the southern U.S. border in November.
In January, he was released and made his way to Vermont following the advice of a childhood friend who told him about the help of the asylum network. While awaiting a work permit, Lamidi enrolled in English classes and volunteered once a week for Kingdom Community Services, a group that serves free lunches in a local church. With help from a pro bono lawyer, he submitted his application for asylum in April.
His detention shocked the volunteers who accompanied him to his May check-in. The group organized a rally to bring attention to his case and raised funds to hire another attorney for his immigration case.
Shortly after his detention, 10 community members submitted letters of support to an immigration judge describing the positive impression Lamidi has made.
Lamidi’s asylum hearing is currently scheduled for September 24, but his attorney, Kristen Connors, said it may be postponed now that he has been released from detention.
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