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 and resides in Indiana with his family, who own a chain of gas stations. His wife and two children are US citizens. However, Mr Singh now faces the threat of deportation.
On July 30, he was detained by immigration authorities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport while returning from India and has since been in their custody. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities have cited two decades-old cases as grounds for his detention. However, Mr Singh's family and lawyer argue that no active cases against him exist.
They allege that immigration authorities are using old cases to prolong his detention and that he is not receiving the medical care he needs, only being provided with basic medical check-ups. The BBC has reached out to ICE for a response to these claims.
Mr Singh, who regularly travels to India without issue, was detained for five days at the airport and later moved to a Clay County detention center. The reason cited for his detention includes a 1999 incident involving a public phone and a prior conviction for a minor offence that blocks his citizenship application.
His case is scheduled for a hearing on October 14 amidst growing concerns about his health as a surgery for his brain tumour has been delayed due to his detention. His lawyer plans to challenge the situation, stating it is unethical, while his family worries about the adequacy of his medical care in detention.
On July 30, he was detained by immigration authorities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport while returning from India and has since been in their custody. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities have cited two decades-old cases as grounds for his detention. However, Mr Singh's family and lawyer argue that no active cases against him exist.
They allege that immigration authorities are using old cases to prolong his detention and that he is not receiving the medical care he needs, only being provided with basic medical check-ups. The BBC has reached out to ICE for a response to these claims.
Mr Singh, who regularly travels to India without issue, was detained for five days at the airport and later moved to a Clay County detention center. The reason cited for his detention includes a 1999 incident involving a public phone and a prior conviction for a minor offence that blocks his citizenship application.
His case is scheduled for a hearing on October 14 amidst growing concerns about his health as a surgery for his brain tumour has been delayed due to his detention. His lawyer plans to challenge the situation, stating it is unethical, while his family worries about the adequacy of his medical care in detention.
