Eshua Besong Mbua is a 38 year-old Cameroonian immigrant who fled political persecution and sought asylum in the United States in 2017. He was recently released on bond after five months in an ICE detention center having been unjustifiably accused of overstaying his visa. He is currently struggling to get back on his feet as he awaits an immigration hearing in November.

Eshua Besong was an activist for the rights of English-speaking people in Cameroon. Because of his activism there, he was abducted and tortured by the government. Even now, Eshua cannot return to Cameroon or leave the USA without fear of political persecution and fear for his life.

Before his abduction by ICE in March, he was a productive member of his community in eastern Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Science degree in Energy and Environmental Management. In 2020, his education allowed him to make a career for himself working for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, where he focused on regulating air pollution, waste management and recycling. In March 2025, Eshua was detained by ICE, and he spent five months detained, denied due process, and is now released on bond and awaiting an immigration hearing in October. 

Due to this ICE detention, Eshua Besong lost his job, his home, and all of his life savings, and his work authorization document was also confiscated by ICE. While in detention, his physical and mental health severely deteriorated. He is struggling and experiencing PTSD from the horrific treatment he experienced while being detained. Currently, Eshua Besong is homeless with great uncertainty about his future.

Please contribute to help Eshua Besong be able to afford the rental of a room, experience food security and continue his healing process during this scary and stressful time. His hope for the future is to rectify his immigration status which will allow him to work again and live freely in the United States.