By Guy Page
Supporters of Nafiou Lamidi, a 35-year-old African who crossed the southern border, sought refugee status, and moved to the Northeast Kingdom, will hold a rally for him in St. Johnsbury Saturday, May 31, 19 days after he was detained during what they say was a routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-in May 12 in St. Albans.
Lamidi has been incarcerated since then. The Northeast Kingdom Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (NEKASAN) says it has not yet been given any explanation for his continued incarceration, according to a May 12 statement.
NEKASAN says that on the morning of May 12, Lamidi arrived at the ICE office in St. Albans, accompanied by three friends from who planned to show him around Burlington after the appointment. According to his supporters, Lamidi had never had the chance to properly explore the area, and the outing was intended as a welcome reprieve from the stress of navigating the asylum process.
But Lamidi never rejoined his friends.
As NEKASAN members waited outside, they were informed only that “things have changed.” Lamidi, it turns out, was handcuffed upon entering the building and taken into custody. He was later transferred to the Northwest State Correctional Facility, and more recently to the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire.
NEKASAN claims no information has been shared with his attorney.
According to a published report in the Caledonian-Record, Lamidi crossed the southern border and then sought status as a refugee. He is from Africa, but NEKASAN does not say which country nor anything about his refugee claim .
However, NEKASAN, a 501 C-3 not for profit, says on its website: ”We have accepted as guests three single men from Uganda, one single man each from Togo, Iran and Sudan, families from Cuba and Benin, and two women and one man from Honduras. Asylum seekers have fled persecution in their own countries by government sanctioned violence, or gang violence due to tribal membership, religious affiliation, political activity, or sexual orientation. They have undertaken long, arduous journeys to reach our border. All of our guests from Africa and the Middle East have walked for roughly two months from South America to our Mexican border and passed through the treacherous, 66-mile Darien Gap in Panama.”
It is unclear whether Lamidi crossed the U.S. border out of legitimate concern for persecution or gang violence, or whether (like many asylum seekers) he is merely seeking a better life in the United States.
“This is not how our immigration system is supposed to work,” said a NEKASAN spokesperson. “Nafiou has not been accused of any crime. He complied fully with the law, showed up for his scheduled check-in, and instead of leaving with friends, he vanished into the system.”
Since arriving in Vermont in January after being released from immigration detention in Texas, Lamidi has become a valued member of the St. Johnsbury community, NEKASAN says. Supporters describe him as generous, eager to learn English, and someone who always volunteers to help others. He hopes to eventually reunite with his wife and three children, who remain abroad.
“This is a man with no criminal background who did everything right—and now he’s in a federal prison, treated like a criminal, and no one can tell us why,” said another NEKASAN member. “Is this really how we want our country to treat people who come here seeking safety?”
The rally will take place Saturday, May 31 at 10 AM at the Bandstand Park next to the Caledonia County Courthouse in St. Johnsbury. Organizers are encouraging residents to show up in solidarity with Lamidi and to call for justice not just for him, but for all asylum seekers facing arbitrary detention.
NEKASAN does not allege illegal behavior by ICE. But it maintains our government shouldn’t treat refugee seekers in this way.
“Now is the time for our community to stand up,” said one organizer. “We cannot allow silence and secrecy to become the norm. Nafiou needs us—and we need to make sure no one else disappears like this again.”