The US Is About to Deport an Immigrant to the Center of the Ebola Crisis

The United States is preparing to deport a 78-year-old retired pastor to Uganda, a state successful East Africa adjacent the halfway of the Ebola outbreak. The pastor besides claims to beryllium the people of the country’s authoritarian government.

Edward Nalwamba came to the US from Uganda successful 2002 and had been surviving and moving successful Colorado portion nether an “order of supervision,” which is erstwhile idiosyncratic has a deportation bid but cannot beryllium instantly removed from the country. This bid was revoked successful September 2025, his lawyers say, and helium has been detained ever since. Nalwamba is acceptable to beryllium deported connected Tuesday.

According to his lawyer and 1 of his friends, Nalwamba’s wellness has declined precipitously successful the 9 months helium has been successful migration detention, adding to concerns astir deporting him to an outbreak zone.

Uganda, and its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are astatine the epicenter of the latest Ebola outbreak, which has killed much than 300 people. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a question wellness announcement for Uganda, encouraging travelers to signifier “enhanced precautions.” It’s not wide however galore immigrants the US is deporting to Uganda astatine this time.

Nalwamba’s lawsuit falls astatine the intersection of respective of the large changes ushered successful by President Donald Trump’s 2nd administration. Since January 2025, the US authorities has strangled overseas assistance, sidesplitting disconnected the US Agency for International Development (USAID) astir entirely. Meanwhile, it has pumped billions of dollars into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and migration operations.

Nalwamba archetypal arrived successful the US connected a tourer visa for a spiritual conference. In 2001, during Uganda’s statesmanlike elections, Nalwamba claims helium was 1 of respective radical successful his municipality taken from their homes successful the mediate of the nighttime and interrogated by equipped information forces astir his narration to the governmental opposition, according to tribunal documents filed successful 2010. Nalwamba had refused to instruct members of his religion to ballot for the country’s president, Yoweri Museveni, who has been successful powerfulness since 1986, and whose authorities has continued to people members of the governmental absorption arsenic precocious arsenic earlier this year.

During the spiritual conference, helium says, radical that Nalwamba knew backmost successful Uganda called him to pass him that governmental conditions successful the state were deteriorating. While helium was successful the US, Nalwamba received a fax containing threats that made him fearfulness returning home. Nalwamba decided to enactment successful the US and use for asylum.

“He feared and has feared each the mode up until the contiguous clip that if helium returns to Uganda, helium volition beryllium imprisoned oregon tortured oregon killed, and the Ugandan authorities person travel looking for him respective times implicit the years,” says Joy Athanasiou, the migration lawyer representing Nalwamba.

Athanasiou claims that Nalwamba had issues with his archetypal migration attorney, who “disappeared without filing the application.” This, and different issues, analyzable his exertion for asylum, and though it was denied, helium was issued the “stay of removal.” Nalwamba was arrested connected September 18, 2025 and has been held astatine a detention installation successful Aurora, Colorado that is tally by GEO Group, a backstage situation company.

Once successful detention, Athanasiou says that Nalwamba’s possessions were confiscated, including paperwork and documentation. “He believes immoderate of his migration papers were successful there,” she says. Additionally, due to the fact that Athanasiou did not correspond Nalwamba successful his earlier migration cases, she doesn’t person entree to immoderate of his earlier lawsuit records and documentation. “You person to record a ceremonial petition for a transcript of the client's record done the Freedom of Information Act,” she says. A erstwhile lawyer filed for Nalwamba’s records, but was lone fixed a “fraction of a file” portion different requests are inactive pending. “This has been a large occupation with the authorities nether the existent administration,” says Athanasiou.