For over two months, Paramjit Singh, 48, a US green card holder battling a brain tumour and a heart condition, has been held in a detention centre by US immigration authorities.
Mr. Singh, an Indian passport holder, has lived in the US on a green card since 1994. He resides in Indiana with his family, who own a chain of gas stations, and includes two US citizen children.
However, he now faces the threat of deportation. He was detained on July 30 while returning from India and has since remained in custody.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cited two old legal cases as grounds for his detention, although Mr. Singh's family and lawyer refute the validity of these claims, asserting that no active cases against him exist.
According to his lawyer, Louis Angeles, Mr. Singh only receives basic medical check-ups, despite needing urgent treatment for his serious health conditions.
Mr. Singh, who has visited India regularly without any immigration issues, was held for five days at the airport before being transferred to the Clay County detention centre in Indiana. He was detained, in part, over a 1999 conviction for using a public phone without payment, and a subsequent allegation concerning a forgery offence that his family disputes.
“They said at a court hearing that he still faced a one-and-a-half-year sentence, with only 10 days dismissed, which his family contests,” Ms. Virk stated.
Compounding the family’s distress, Singh's health has deteriorated during his detention, with delays affecting his necessary medical procedures due to poor communication with the outside world.
Singh's case is set to be heard on October 14, amidst growing concerns about the treatment of immigrants under current US immigration policies, particularly under the Trump administration.
His family’s legal team plans to challenge his detention, arguing it is both unwarranted and unethical, as authorities reportedly seem to misidentify him in relation to newer charges.
