27 Years In US, Indian-Origin Green Card Holder Detained By ICE Despite Judge Dismissing Deportation Case

An Indian-origin woman who has spent 27 years in the US and holds a Green Card has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite an immigration judge having dismissed the government's deportation case against her months earlier. Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty, a grandmother of two and lawful permanent resident (LPR) since 2013, was taken into custody during a routine ICE check-in on August 11.

Vasamsetty is currently being held at an ICE detention centre in Georgia, according to data from the agency's Online Detainee Locator System cited by Newsweek. Her detention comes after a US immigration judge on May 19, 2026, terminated the previous removal proceedings against her.

The dispute over Vasamsetty's immigration status reportedly began after the federal government alleged that she had abandoned her permanent residency by remaining in India for several months in 2022. Her family and attorney, however, maintain that she had travelled to India to care for an elderly and seriously ill parent and was subsequently unable to return as planned after contracting COVID-19 and facing other health complications. They also say she continued to maintain strong connections to the US through her family, job and home.

Why Her Stay In India Became An Immigration Issue?

Although Green Card holders are permitted to reside permanently in the US, lawful permanent residents can still be placed in removal proceedings under certain circumstances. Extended stays outside the country, particularly those lasting more than six months, can lead authorities to examine whether an individual intended to give up their US residency.

According to immigration attorney Zoe Wilson, who is a friend and former colleague of Vasamsetty's daughter, Vasamsetty has lived in the US for 27 years and worked as a special-needs teacher in North Carolina. Wilson said she had permission from the family to speak publicly about the case.

Wilson stressed that Vasamsetty has no criminal record and has maintained lawful immigration status throughout her time in the US. She also highlighted her family and professional ties to the country.

"She has been a Lawful Permanent Resident, a green card holder, since 2013. She has NO criminal history. She is a public school teacher who primarily works with special-needs children. She is a mother to two U.S. citizen children. She has two US citizen grandchildren. Her home, her family, her career, and her life are here and have been here for over 27 years," she wrote.

Wilson further said Vasamsetty is "severely diabetic" and "requires glucose monitoring and medical care."

Why Vasamsetty Stayed In India For 7 Months?

Wilson said Vasamsetty travelled to India in July 2022 to look after her elderly parents, who were critically ill. Her stay was extended after she contracted COVID-19 and developed further medical problems.

She "became ill enough that she was hospitalised in India for nearly two weeks. After she was discharged, there were other medical issues that further delayed her ability to make a long international trip. When she was finally well enough to travel, she returned home to the United States through Raleigh-Durham International Airport in February 2023. She had been outside the country for about 7 months," Wilson wrote.

What US Immigration Rules Say About Extended Stays Abroad

Wilson also referred to guidance issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which says that "permanent residents are free to travel outside the United States, and temporary or brief travel usually does not affect your permanent resident status. If it is determined, however, that you did not intend to make the United States your permanent home, you will be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status."

Permanent residents who remain outside the US for more than 180 days may face additional questioning when they return, particularly over whether they continued to regard the country as their permanent home.

According to Wilson, Vasamsetty's circumstances did not indicate any intention to give up her residency.

"She wasn't packing up her life in the United States. She wasn't moving back to India. She wasn't leaving with the intention of giving up her green card. At the time she left, she was literally in the process of buying a home in North Carolina to be her primary residence. Then, while she was in India, she completed that purchase," Wilson wrote.

"Any reasonable person should be able to look at the facts of Mrs Vasamsetty's circumstances and understand the difference between a temporary, medically complicated trip and one with intent to actually abandon their green card," she added.

ICE Detains Vasamsetty

Vasamsetty continued attending scheduled ICE check-ins after the case was dismissed. However, she was detained on August 11 when she reported to the agency's Charlotte office.

Wilson said ICE has claimed that Vasamsetty "isn't a green card holder."

Emergency Legal Challenge Filed Against Detention

Following her detention, her lawyers filed an emergency habeas corpus petition on August 13 challenging her continued custody. A federal judge subsequently directed immigration authorities to explain within three days the legal basis for keeping her detained.

According to NRI Pulse, ICE's latest filing does not acknowledge that the detention was unlawful and does not direct authorities to release Vasamsetty. Instead, it suggests that if the federal court applies its recent precedent, she could be entitled to have an immigration judge assess whether she should be released on bond.

If the federal court rules in favour of the government, Vasamsetty is expected to receive a bond hearing within seven days.