Paul Dama, 46, a Nigerian and manager of the Suya Joint restaurant chain, was released last week after over 100 days in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
An immigration judge granted him asylum, finding he would face political persecution if returned to Nigeria, according to his attorney Abeba Attles, who provided this information to MassLive.
Before coming to the United States in 2019, Dama worked as a journalist at the Nigerian Television Authority.
In 2018, he was kidnapped and held for four days by Boko Haram, then freed after his family raised a $13,000 ransom, according to reporting from The Boston Globe. “The government seemed powerless fighting Boko Haram,” he told The Boston Globe.
Continuing his journey, Dama’s attorney reported that Dama had valid work authorization and filed for asylum in 2020.
Despite this, ICE arrested Dama in June 2025 while he was on his way to church, according to his attorney. In response, a family member launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $54,000 to support his defense, the family member said.
After his release, Dama described his feelings in a video shared by his attorney, according to Yahoo: “It feels great to be out. It’s freedom at last. I never thought I was going to see this day, but it’s finally here.” He also recounted the difficulties of detention, telling Yahoo: “It was really hard for me because getting locked up in a particular place, in a particular building, you are not allowed to go out, you are not allowed to do anything,” he said.
Dama further discussed his experience by offering advice to others, telling Yahoo: “When you see these guys, just cooperate with them. Don’t fight. Because when you do, that triggers a different reaction from them,” he said.
Sharing more about his release, he told GBH News that when correctional officers called his name on Thursday evening, the place “erupted with claps and shouts of joy,” before he was transported back to Massachusetts from New Hampshire, where he had been held for months.
Dama’s release was documented on social media. His sister, Cecelia Lizotte, posted video on Instagram showing his release and narrated, “Yes, yes, yes,” as they walked away. In the video, she adds, “I got my brother in the middle of the night. I don’t know why they did this, but I am so happy to pick him up.” Lizotte later wrote in the caption: “Today, we celebrate freedom… Paul’s story is not just about surviving an immigration system designed to break people down — it is about resilience, faith, and the unstoppable power of love and community.”
Turning to his legal circumstances, despite two operating-under-the-influence charges filed in 2024, the judge credited Dama’s rehabilitation efforts, including therapy and participation in Alcoholics Anonymous, according to Dama’s attorney, as reported by the Globe.
Dama also worked as a social worker for Nexus Inc., and, according to the Globe, his employer visited him while he was detained.
According to his attorney, Dama can apply for a green card in a year and then for U.S. citizenship after five years. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to MassLive’s request for comment. Yahoo reported that the federal government has until Oct. 23 to appeal the asylum decision.
Source: MassLive
