India overstay gets grandma detained by ICE; was in US for 27 years, now denied meds

According to a report by the New York-based news outlet, Newsweek, Vasamsetty was taken into custody on August 11 during a scheduled ICE-check in at the city of Charlotte. Newsweek reported that she was being held at the Irwin County Detention Center in the.

Immigration attorney Zoe Wilson, a former colleague and friend of Vasamsetty's daughter, described her case in an August 13 LinkedIn post, saying she had received the family's permission to discuss the case publicly. Mrs Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty, is a Green Card holder.

What Happened

She added that Vasamsetty had maintained "lawful immigration status throughout that time". Her return to the US was, however, delayed after she contracted Covid-19 and developed further health complications.

• Vasamsetty's detention stems from a dispute over whether she abandoned her lawful permanent resident status after spending several months in India in 2022.

• Wilson also said Vasamsetty is "severely diabetic" and requires glucose monitoring and medical care.WHY DID VENKATA VASAMSETTY TRAVEL TO INDIA IN 2022?

• Venkata Vasamsetty travelled to India in July 2022 to care for her elderly parents according to her attorney, Helen Parsonage, and family friend Zoe Wilson, who spoke to the US-based news outlet, NRI Pulse.

Key Details

Wilson wrote that Vasamsetty "became ill enough that she was hospitalised in India for nearly two weeks". After being discharged, other medical problems prevented her from making the long journey back immediately.

• She eventually returned to the US in February 2023, about seven months after leaving.

• A Change.org petition launched by supporters seeking her release, (which has 3,388 verified signatures as of filing this report) says Vasamsetty attended "every single ICE appointment" and that her lawyers submitted documents showing she.

• Immigration attorney Wilson said Vasamsetty's case should concern others with lawful status, writing, "If this can happen to her, people need to understand what this means".

Why It Matters

Note, under American immigration rules, Green Card holders can travel abroad, but extended absences can lead authorities to examine whether they intended to maintain the US as their permanent home. An absence of more than 180 days can trigger additional scrutiny when.

• On August 13, a federal judge ordered immigration authorities to explain the legal basis for continuing to hold her within three days, reported Newsweek.

• Vasamsetty's lawyers have challenged her detention in federal court through an emergency habeas corpus petition.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge