On Nov. 18, 2025, Manuel Ndongala drove to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Scarborough for what he expected to be a routine check-in with immigration officials. ⁠
⁠
He had fled his native Angola in 2023 to escape political persecution, flying to Brazil and then traveling up through South and Central America to claim asylum at the southern U.S. border. He eventually made his way to Maine, where he found an attic apartment in Springvale and began working at a telecom company in New Hampshire, a 45-minute drive away. ⁠
⁠
But his November appointment was different: He was told he was eligible for removal and was being detained. Ndongala was then taken to a detention center in Plymouth, Massachusetts.⁠
⁠
When he was released more than 80 days later, his car was gone.⁠
⁠
Read more from Caitlin Andrews for free at the link in our bio.⁠
⁠