This page was originally created to raise awareness about the wrongful imprisonment of Torben Sondergaard in 2022-2023. Today it serves as an archive page. Find Torben’s new website on torbensondergaard.com.

APPEAL DENIED… but we don’t give up!

A message from Torben:

Greetings to all of you in the name of Jesus Christ. I hope you are doing well! Over the past few weeks, I have been eagerly awaiting a decision from the Board of Appeals regarding my denied asylum claim. The possibility of being granted asylum and released had us filled with excitement and hope. We fervently prayed for a positive outcome.

But last week, the news hit us: “Appeal Denied.” It was a shocking and disappointing blow. It felt as though the US immigration system was indifferent to the facts and simply wanted to remove me from the country.

Going to the Federal Court

Even though the appeal was denied, we are not going to stop here. We will take our case to the Federal Court, as we believe we have a strong foundation to fight for justice.

I have been unjustly labeled a national threat, detained for ten and a half months without charges or evidence, and faced unimaginable accusations ranging from weapons smuggling to human trafficking and even heinous crimes I never committed. Despite having substantial evidence linking all these events back to the persecution coming from Denmark, I remain locked up.

Upon release of this video, I have been unjustly detained for 320 days.

We already received a positive decision from a federal court. On April 28, we filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the unlawfulness and prolonged nature of my detention. It was a Writ of Habeas Corpus, arguing that my imprisonment violated the constitution.

Remarkably, within ONE BUSINESS day of filing, the federal court issued a strong decision, demanding that the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s division responsible for my imprisonment justify why I am still detained. Such a swift response is nearly unheard of and gives us a lot of hope.

Although the Board of Appeals dismissed my appeal the very next day, it is essential to note that this is not a final decision. I cannot be deported until the federal court reviews the facts of my case. So, multiple things are transpiring simultaneously, and we are prepared to escalate to the federal court. This process may unfold rapidly, potentially within a few weeks.

Rigged asylum process (from the first day)

Another reason for our determination to continue and take our case to the Federal Court is the belief that I did not receive a fair trial with immigration. The judge’s initial reason for denying my case in December was ‘visa overstay’. And this was also cited as a reason for denying my appeal.

However, this is not true, at least according to the facts and my documents.

When I entered the US on an ESTA (visa waiver program), I was legally allowed to stay for three months. During that time, I submitted my application for asylum. We received the receipt for my asylum case just one week before my ESTA expired.

However, the same individuals who spread lies about me regarding human trafficking and weapon smuggling were already in contact with immigration back then. They fabricated another falsehood, claiming that I had committed economic fraud by taking money from sick and elderly people, which is entirely baseless. However, immigration believed these lies without conducting any investigation or providing me with any notification. They simply CANCELED my ESTA in the middle of my authorized three-month stay, making me, according to their records, illegal in the country and overstaying my visa. This is an outrageous situation, and it seemed like I had already lost before presenting my case, all based on lies from the same people four years ago.

This example only scratches the surface of the challenges we face and the unjust circumstances surrounding my case.

 

Thank you for your interest in Torben’s case. As the legal battle is still going on, Torben still needs your support. Please consider donating to this case. You can do this by clicking the button below.