An Indian-origin woman who has lived in the United States for 27 years and holds a Green Card has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite an immigration judge dismissing the government's previous removal case against her in May 2026. Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty, a grandmother of two and lawful permanent resident since 2013, was taken into custody on August 11 during a scheduled ICE check-in in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Georgia.
The immigration dispute reportedly began after Vasamsetty spent about seven months in India in 2022 while caring for her elderly and critically ill parents. Her return was further delayed after she contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalised for nearly two weeks, according to her family and lawyer. She eventually returned to the US through Raleigh-Durham International Airport in February 2023. Her legal team argues that the extended stay was temporary and medically necessary, and that she continued maintaining strong personal, professional and financial ties to the US throughout the period.
Vasamsetty has reportedly worked as a teacher for special-needs students in North Carolina and has two US citizen children and two US citizen grandchildren. Her family also says that she was in the process of purchasing a home in North Carolina when she travelled to India and completed the purchase during her stay there. Immigration attorney Zoe Wilson, who has publicly discussed the case with the family's permission, said Vasamsetty has no criminal history and has maintained lawful immigration status. Wilson also said Vasamsetty has severe diabetes and requires regular glucose monitoring and medical care.
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Under US immigration rules, lawful permanent residents can generally travel outside the country, but extended absences can lead authorities to examine whether they intended to abandon their permanent residence. Spending more than 180 days outside the US can result in additional scrutiny when a permanent resident returns. Vasamsetty's lawyer, Helen Parsonage, said the Department of Homeland Security alleged that her seven-month absence demonstrated abandonment of her permanent residency. Her defence submitted documents intended to show that she continued maintaining her life in the United States during her absence.
The previous removal proceedings against Vasamsetty were dismissed by an immigration judge on May 19, 2026, after the Department of Homeland Security reportedly failed to meet a court-imposed deadline to provide evidence supporting its allegations. Despite the dismissal, Vasamsetty continued attending scheduled ICE check-ins. She was detained when she reported for one such appointment on August 11. Her legal team subsequently filed an emergency habeas corpus petition on August 13 challenging her continued detention.
A federal judge has ordered immigration authorities to explain the legal basis for keeping Vasamsetty in custody. The government's latest filing reportedly does not acknowledge that her detention was unlawful or require her immediate release. However, it indicates that she could be entitled to a bond hearing if the federal court applies recent legal precedent. The case remains ongoing, with Vasamsetty's lawyers seeking her release while authorities continue to dispute her immigration status.
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