BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – We’re digging deeper into the story of Steven Tendo, an asylum seeker living in Vermont who was detained by ICE, but has been released. We spoke with his lawyer about his plan to stay in the states amidst the national immigration crackdown.

Stephen Tendo was a political activist in Uganda. He fled after he was tortured, shot in the leg, and lost two of his fingers. He sought asylum at a port of entry in Brownsville, Texas, in 2018.

In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security denied his application, and Tendo was detained for two and a half years.

The Department of Homeland Security says they denied his application for asylum because of inconsistencies.

“They had to do with his wife’s date of birth, as well as his prior visa application, which asked for all the countries that he traveled through,” said Christopher Worth, Tendo’s lawyer.

A non-profit research group found 69% of asylum applications were denied in 2019 during Trump’s first term. Tendo was released on an order of supervision in 2021, which means he could live and work in the U.S. while awaiting potential removal. Since then, he’s been a pastor and a nursing assistant in Vermont.

“Steven filed three applications for stays of removal, all of which were granted. He was scheduled for a check-in on Friday, February 6th. ICE had been notified that that’s when the stay application was being filed, but yet they took that day as the opportunity to arrest him two days before his check-in,” said Worth.

Tendo spoke with Senator Peter Welch about the conditions of the Dover detention center.

“The circumstances he described in Dover were really — very, very bad,” said Senator Welch.

A New Hampshire judge found ICE violated Tendo’s due process because the federal agency did not provide the required notice for revoking his supervised release. Tendo, who has no criminal record, walked free on February 20th.

“The pattern that we’re seeing is that ICE seems to have a quota for arrests. I’ve heard that they have to make 3,000 arrests every day, and that’s very hard to do. And so, ICE seems to be arresting everyone they possibly can, whether or not that person may be removed or not,” said Worth.

Tendo is expected to check in with ICE on March 20th at their St. Albans office. While his attorneys are hard at work trying to delay his potential removal, it’s unclear if he will be detained again before then.

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Looking for ways to enjoy the rest of the cold New England winter?

While staying indoors often seems better than facing the cold, the region has lots of outdoor activities that brighten the winter season, including skiing, snow tubing and, of course, ice skating. From Burlington to Stratton, Vermont has plenty of indoor and outdoor ice rinks, many of which offer lessons, concessions and special events in addition to ice skating.

Here are five places in Vermont where you can go ice skating this winter.

Spruce Peak Village Ice Rink

This outdoor ice rink is located in the heart of the village at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in Stowe formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge.

Guests can skate daily surrounded by the majestic ski slopes of the Green Mountains. On Friday nights, the Spruce Peak Village ice rink hosts glow skate parties with a light show, glow sticks and a live DJ. Skate rentals and lessons are also available for purchase.

When: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday or noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: Spruce Peak, 7412 Mountain Road, Stowe

Ice Haus Arena

Located up at Jay Peak Resort near the Canadian border, Ice Haus Arena is the newest ice-skating arena in the state. The indoor rink is complete with bleacher seating, a rental and repair shop, four locker rooms, a pro shop, a snack bar and of course, an NHL-sized rink where guests can participate in public skating or skating with sticks and pucks.

General admission to the rink is $6, with skate rentals available for $6, skate sharpening available for $7 and helmets available for $3.

When: Online schedule updated daily

Where: Jay Peak Resort, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay

Winter activities in VT: Here are 5 places you can ski for under $100 in Vermont

C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena

This indoor arena has not one, but two NHL-size ice rinks for hockey, public skating and stick and puck practices. Off the ice, Cairns Arena also offers a pro shop and a cafe with hot food, snacks and drinks.

Skating at Cairns costs $5 for adults or $3 for children and seniors, and skates are available to rent for an additional $5.

When: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday, with exceptions. Check the online schedule at cairnsarena.finnlyconnect.com..