Arkansas: An Indian-origin man living in the US is fighting to stay in the country after a wrongful arrest led to the revocation of his visa and gave him a 'deportation status'.
Kapil Raghu, who lives in Arkansas and is married to an American citizen, was detained earlier this year when police the police reportedly mistook his bottle of a designer perfume labelled "Opium" for an illegal substance.
An arrest over 'misunderstanding'
According to reports, Raghu was pulled over by Benton police on May 3 for a minor traffic violation. Officers found a small bottle marked “Opium” in his car and assumed it contained narcotics. Despite Raghu’s repeated clarification that it was a Yves Saint Laurent perfume, he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession.
A bodycam footage reportedly captured the officers telling him, “You got a vial of opium that was in your centre console.” Raghu later told The Saline Courier that he had fully cooperated and was “bewildered” by the incident.
Subsequent testing by the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that the perfume contained no illegal substances. However, Raghu spent three days in the Saline County Jail, during which immigration officials flagged what they called a “visa irregularity”.
Charges dropped but 'deportation status' remains
Although the drug charge was dismissed on May 20, Raghu was transferred to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Louisiana, where he was held for 30 days. His visa was revoked during this period, leaving him without legal status and unable to work.
Raghu’s lawyer, Mike Laux, told The Guardian that his client now faces deportation and is barred from employment. “He can be immediately deported for any minor offence, even jaywalking,” Laux said, calling the situation “devastating” for Raghu’s family.
In a letter to ICE, Raghu said the issue arose due to an administrative delay by his previous attorney and urged authorities to reinstate his visa. His wife, Alhley Mays, said the ordeal has left the couple financially strained, forcing her to work three jobs to cover expenses.
Laux also accused Benton police of violating international law by not informing the Indian Consulate, as required under the Vienna Convention. The US Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the case.
