ICE Detains Grandma With Green Card Due to COVID Delaying Return to US
ICE detained a green-card holder despite earlier dismissal of her deportation case, according to her attorney and family friend.
A North Carolina teacher, Venkata Vasamsetty, a lawful permanent resident since 2013, was detained by ICE on a scheduled check-in despite a judge dismissing a deportation case against her in May, according to her attorney. Vasamsetty was held at a Georgia detention facility as of Friday. She had returned to the U.S. in February 2023, seven months after leaving due to caring for her ailing parents in India and recovering from COVID-19.
Her family and attorney argue she maintained strong ties to the U.S., but DHS alleged that her extended absence proved she abandoned her residency. The judge dismissed the removal proceedings on May 19, 2026, but ICE continued to view her as not a green card holder. Her attorney filed an emergency habeas corpus petition, which a federal judge ordered to explain within three days the legal basis for her detention.
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