ICE Detains Indian-Origin Grandmother After 27 Years in US, Months After Judge Dismissed Deportation Case

An Indian-origin US green card holder who has lived in the country for 27 years has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), months after an immigration judge dismissed a deportation case against her. Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty, a grandmother who works with special-needs students in North Carolina, was detained during a scheduled ICE check-in on 11 August. She is being held at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, according to ICE's Online Detainee Locator System.

Vasamsetty's detention came nearly three months after an immigration judge terminated the government's earlier removal case against her on 19 May.

Her lawyer, Helen Parsonage, told NRI Pulse that Vasamsetty had continued attending scheduled ICE check-ins after the case was dismissed. She had appeared at the agency's Charlotte office on 11 July and was told to return on 11 August, when she was taken into custody.

Vasamsetty became a lawful permanent resident (LPR) in 2013. According to immigration attorney Zoe Wilson, a friend and former colleague of Vasamsetty's daughter who said she had the family's permission to discuss the case, Vasamsetty has no criminal history and has lived lawfully in the US for decades.

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Wilson described her as the mother of two US citizens and grandmother of two US citizen grandchildren.

Why Was She Facing Deportation?

The case arose from Vasamsetty's seven-month stay in India in 2022. According to her lawyer, Vasamsetty travelled to India in July that year to care for her elderly and ill parents. Her return was delayed after she contracted Covid-19 and developed further health complications. Wilson said Vasamsetty was hospitalised in India for nearly two weeks.

She eventually returned to the US in February 2023.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged that her extended absence showed she had abandoned her permanent residency. Vasamsetty and her legal team disputed that claim, arguing that she had maintained substantial ties to the US through her family, employment and home.

Her lawyers submitted documentation to support their case.

According to Parsonage, DHS failed to meet a court-imposed deadline to submit evidence supporting its case. The immigration judge subsequently dismissed the removal proceedings in May.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says permanent residents are generally free to travel outside the US, although lengthy absences can lead authorities to examine whether a person intended to maintain the country as their permanent home.

What Happens Next?

Vasamsetty's lawyers have filed an emergency habeas corpus petition challenging her continued detention. On 13 August, a federal judge ordered immigration authorities to explain within three days the legal basis for holding her. The court said it would consider scheduling a hearing after receiving the government's response and supporting evidence.

Wilson said ICE "does not view her as a green card holder".

Newsweek reported that it had confirmed Vasamsetty's detention through ICE's Online Detainee Locator System. The publication said it had contacted DHS, ICE, Vasamsetty's lawyer and her daughter for comment.

The case comes as President Donald Trump's administration continues an immigration crackdown focused on expanding deportations and increasing enforcement.

While lawful permanent residents have the right to live permanently in the US, federal immigration law allows green card holders to face removal proceedings in certain circumstances.