Armande's Experience

Armande fled political violence in Cameroon and sought safety in the United States in 2019. Upon arrival, she immediately declared her status and applied for asylum. From that day forward, she has complied fully with every requirement placed before her—attending each mandated appointment and honoring every legal obligation asked of her.

She represents the very best of what we hope for in someone seeking to build a life here: a woman of deep faith and character who persevered through profound hardship, works in a highly technical field, and brings specialized skills that are rare and difficult to replace.

On January 22, 2026, Armande attended a routine immigration check-in, expecting nothing unusual. Instead, she was told there was a shoplifting charge on her record—a charge that was misattributed and has since been removed from her record, but the fact that it had never happened did not matter. She was taken into detention that evening and has not been released.

As of March 13, she has been held for 50 days without bond.

Despite having done everything right—despite the fact that the allegation leading to her detention was unfounded and has been cleared—Armande remains in Phelps County detention with no clear timeline for release.