COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — An engineer who has lived in Colorado Springs for five years remains detained at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Aurora, more than 10 months after his arrest and separated from his four-year-old son, family members and his attorney say.
Man says detention interrupts pending green card process
Obinna Uzoh, who goes by Obi, emigrated from Africa in 2009 and worked in Vermont and Texas before moving to Colorado Springs. His attorney with the firm Joseph & Hall said Uzoh entered the United States lawfully on an F‑1 student visa and is pursuing relief under immigration law, including an appeal that remains pending in court.
Uzoh told a local news outlet he has been detained at the Aurora ICE center since October and that his work visa remains valid through December 2029. He said he had been in contact with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and had a green card interview the prior July before his arrest interrupted the process.
Delays and denials: bond, hearings and a waiver
According to Uzoh and his attorney, several procedural hurdles have kept him confined. He said his request for an immigration bond was denied. His legal team then pursued an I‑601 hardship waiver tied to his pending green card application. That waiver can forgive certain bars to residency — including unlawful presence or particular offenses — by showing an immediate U.S. relative would suffer "extreme hardship" if the applicant were removed.
"My immigration bond request was denied and then we decided to go ahead with pursuing my green card since I was already so close to obtaining it before my arrest," said Uzoh.
Uzoh described repeated rescheduling of hearings while he remained in detention. He recounted an initial final hearing scheduled for February that was first moved to Feb. 9 and then to March 4. At that March hearing, Uzoh said the immigration judge questioned whether the hardship waiver met the standard for "extreme hardship" to his son, identified in reporting as Netanna. Uzoh said the judge decided he did not meet the required showing.
Local consequences and the human picture
Uzoh and his supporters emphasize his ties to Colorado Springs: employment as an engineer and family responsibilities, including care for a small child with special needs. The case highlights the overlap of federal immigration proceedings and everyday life in Colorado Springs when a parent is removed from the household.
- Detention location: ICE facility, Aurora
- Detained since: October (per Uzoh)
- Visa status: Work visa valid until December 2029 (per Uzoh)
- Green card process: Green card interview occurred in July of last year; waiver and appeals pending
Legal advocates say prolonged detention and delays can complicate asylum and residency applications, disrupt family life, and impose emotional and financial strain on relatives left caring for children. The denial of a bond request also keeps individuals in detention while appeals continue, a situation that critics of current immigration enforcement practices describe as punitive for those with deep community ties.
| Event | Date (per reporting) |
|---|---|
| Detention begins | October |
| Green card interview | July (of last year) |
| Visa expiration (work visa) | December 2029 |
| Final hearing reschedules | February → Feb. 9 → March 4 |
Uzoh said in reporting that his hearings were repeatedly postponed while he watched his legal options narrow. He also described the emotional toll of being apart from his child, whom he said requires special care.
At the time of the reporting, Joseph & Hall stated Uzoh is pursuing legal avenues under immigration laws and that an appeal remains pending before the court. The firm did not provide a timeline for when the appeal might be heard or resolved.
The case underscores a broader question for Colorado Springs residents and service providers about how immigration enforcement and detention intersect with workforce needs, family stability and local social services. For now, Uzoh remains in federal custody in Aurora while his legal team continues to press the appeal and to argue that his removal would cause extreme hardship to his son.
Local authorities, ICE or USCIS officials did not provide comment for this report.
