An Indian-origin green card holder who has lived in the United States for 27 years was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement without advance notice. The action came months after an immigration judge dismissed her deportation case.
Venkata Vasamsetty, a grandmother and special-needs educator in North Carolina, was taken into custody during a scheduled ICE check-in on August 11, 2026.
Records from ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System show she is held at the Irwin County Detention Centre in Georgia.
Her legal team has filed an emergency habeas corpus petition in federal court to challenge the detention.
Attorney Zoe Wilson said Mrs Vasamsetty has been a lawful permanent resident since 2013 and has no criminal history.
The matter began after she spent about seven months in India in 2022-2023 caring for her ill parents. Her return was delayed by a Covid-19 infection requiring two weeks of hospital care, followed by additional health issues.
DHS argued that the prolonged absence showed she had abandoned her permanent residency.
Wilson stated that Vasamsetty was buying a home in North Carolina when she left and completed the purchase while away. She returned through Raleigh-Durham airport in February 2023.
The immigration case was dismissed on May 19, 2026, after DHS missed a court deadline to submit evidence.
Despite the dismissal, she attended the required check-in at the Charlotte ICE office and was detained. ICE claimed she is not a green card holder.
A Change.org petition has raised concerns about her insulin-dependent diabetes and inadequate medical care and diet at the facility, calling for her release in line with the court ruling.
