Rev. Edward Nalwamba
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Ruthless is the law that is devoid of mercy. Those words have come to define the growing campaign by church leaders and community members in the United States seeking the release of Rev. Edward Nalwamba, a 78-year-old Ugandan pastor who has remained in immigration detention for nearly a year despite supporters insisting he poses no danger to the public.
Rev. Nalwamba has been held by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since September 2025 after he was arrested while travelling to care for a man with severe disabilities in Colorado.
His continued detention under the administration of President Donald Trump has sparked protests, prayer vigils and an online petition, with supporters arguing that the elderly clergyman’s deteriorating health makes his continued incarceration both unnecessary and inhumane.
According to members of Resurrection Anglican Church in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Nalwamba has become seriously ill while in detention, losing approximately 35 pounds and struggling to walk without assistance.
The congregation says the veteran pastor requires compassionate treatment rather than prolonged detention, especially given his advanced age and the absence of any criminal record.
Expired Visa
Rev. Nalwamba travelled from Uganda to the United States in 2002 to attend a religious conference but remained in the country after his visa expired.
He later applied for asylum, arguing that he feared persecution if he returned to Uganda because of his past criticism of the government. However, US immigration authorities rejected his asylum application, and a final deportation order was issued against him in 2010.
Despite the order, the US government was unable to deport him, allowing him to remain in Colorado for the next 15 years under an order of supervision.
During that period, Nalwamba built a life centred on faith and community service. He served as a pastor, worked as a home health aide, faithfully paid taxes and cared for elderly and disabled people in need of daily assistance.
Supporters argue that those years demonstrate that he has been a productive and law-abiding member of society rather than a threat deserving detention.
10 months in custody
His arrest in September last year shocked members of his church, particularly because he was reportedly on his way to assist a severely disabled client when immigration officers detained him.
Since then, the congregation has intensified efforts to secure his release.
Church members have organised demonstrations outside detention facilities, held regular prayer vigils and launched a petition that has attracted nearly 1,900 signatures calling on immigration authorities to free him on humanitarian grounds.
They have also invited Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado to visit Nalwamba in detention and assess his condition firsthand.
Leading the campaign is Rev. Phil Eberhart, pastor of Resurrection Anglican Church, who says the continued detention of Nalwamba contradicts the stated priorities of the Trump administration.
Personal call to Trump
“I thought they were going to go after violent criminals,” Rev. Eberhart said, noting that although he generally supports President Trump’s broader immigration agenda, he believes Nalwamba’s case should be treated differently because of his age, health and record of community service.
Supporters further allege that the Ugandan pastor has not received adequate medical attention despite his worsening condition in detention.
However, US immigration authorities have defended their actions, maintaining that Nalwamba remains subject to a valid deportation order issued more than a decade ago.
Officials say he is receiving appropriate medical care while in custody and maintain that he should leave the United States in accordance with the existing removal order.
The case has renewed debate over the balance between strict immigration enforcement and humanitarian considerations, particularly for elderly migrants who have spent decades contributing to their communities.
For members of Resurrection Anglican Church, the issue extends beyond immigration policy.
Spiritual leader
They describe Rev. Nalwamba as a compassionate spiritual leader who devoted much of his life to serving others, especially people living with disabilities.
As protests continue and prayers are offered for his recovery, supporters hope compassion will ultimately prevail over strict legal enforcement.
For now, the 78-year-old Ugandan pastor remains behind the walls of an immigration detention centre, his future uncertain as legal and humanitarian appeals continue under one of America’s toughest immigration enforcement regimes.
