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Ugandan asylum seeker freed after 10 months in ICE custody, judge cites due process violation

May 29, 2026 · Berlin, NH, Uganda

Ugandan asylum seeker freed after 10 months in ICE custody, judge cites due process violation

Hilary Murungi Timbigamba, a 34-year-old asylum seeker from Uganda, was arrested on larceny charges in Massachusetts in July 2025 while employed at a group home. He was taken into federal custody as he left the courthouse despite being granted pretrial release. Federal Judge Landya McCafferty ruled that his 10-month detention in ICE custody violated his constitutional right to due process because he was deprived of the opportunity to address criminal charges and the evidence presented at his immigration bond hearing was legally insufficient. He was released within 24 hours of the court order.

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