Paramjit Singh, a 48-year-old Indian national who has held a US green card since 1994, is currently in US immigration detention. Singh, who lives in Indiana with his US citizen wife and two children, is reportedly suffering from a brain tumor and a heart condition.
He was detained at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on July 30th while returning from India. Immigration authorities cite two old cases from decades ago as reasons for his detention, though his family and lawyer assert that there are no current legal issues against him. They accuse immigration officials of using these past cases to delay his release and claim he is not receiving the necessary medical treatment.
“Paramjit Singh is not getting the medical help he needs. He is only getting medical check-ups,” his lawyer, Louis Angeles, stated, adding that the family plans to legally challenge the detention and seek to block his deportation. Singh’s family is particularly concerned as his scheduled second brain tumor surgery has been postponed due to his detention.
Singh’s niece, Kiran Virk, mentioned that immigration officials cited a 1999 case involving a public phone misuse conviction, for which Singh served time and paid a fine, as a reason for his detention. Court records show this conviction has prevented him from obtaining US citizenship. The family also disputes a 2008 forgery conviction alleged by immigration authorities, with a private detective hired by the family finding no criminal record for Singh under that charge in Illinois. The family suspects a case of mistaken identity.
This case comes amid increased immigration enforcement by the current US administration. The BBC has sought comments from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding the family’s allegations.
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