Former Maine Prison Guard Arrested and Detained by ICE Agents
Gratien Milandou-Wamba, 32, fled to the United States on a tourist visa in 2023 from the Republic of the Congo; he applied for asylum several months later, claiming that he had been tortured in his home country because of his brother’s political activity. Milandou-Wamba then obtained a work permit and began working as a guard at Maine’s Cumberland County Jail in August 2024. According to Milandou-Wamba’s attorney, Wade McCall, the former guard was driving to the jail for his shift when he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 19, 2025.
Authorities claimed he had overstayed his visa, but McCall believes this to be a moot point since Milandou-Wamba had already applied for asylum. McCall also suggested that ICE may have become aware of Milandou-Wamba’s immigration status after he attempted to buy a firearm. “You’re not supposed to try to buy a gun when you’re here under a temporary visa and/or in the asylum process,” McCall said.
As of late June, Milandou-Wamba was being held in ICE custody at the Strafford County DOC, a jail in Dover, New Hampshire. Because his family continues to face persecution back home, Milandou-Wamba fears that his life will be in more danger than when he initially fled. “He’s not doing well,” a friend of Milandou-Wamba’s told a local reporter. “He has a lot of stress. He’s not sleeping at night. He can’t eat all the time.”
Supporters call his detention unjust, citing his community involvement, his church membership and the county’s own role in employing him. The case has prompted calls to end ICE’s collaboration at the Cumberland County Jail where at least 60 individuals were being held on ICE detainers.
Sources: NPR, WMTM, WABI
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