For over two months, Paramjit Singh, 48, a US green card holder battling a brain tumor and a heart condition, has been held in a detention center 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 a trip to India and has since been in their custody.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has cited two decades-old cases as reasons for his detention, but Mr. Singh's family and lawyer assert that there are no active cases against him.
They accuse immigration authorities of using old cases to prolong his detention and allege he lacks proper medical care despite his significant health issues.
Paramjit Singh is not getting the medical help he needs. He is only getting medical check-ups, his lawyer, Louis Angeles, stated.
The BBC has reached out to ICE for a response regarding these allegations.
Mr. Singh has regularly visited India without facing immigration issues, his niece Kiran Virk informed. This latest detention followed a week of waiting at Chicago airport for his arrival.
Immigration officials reportedly indicated that Mr. Singh was detained over a case from 1999 involving failure to pay for a public phone. Court records show he served 10 days in prison and paid significant fines for the conviction, which has hindered his path to US citizenship.
Ms. Virk claims immigration authorities alleged in a court hearing that Mr. Singh still faced an unresolved sentence, with only 10 days dismissed.
Additionally, immigration officials maintain that he was convicted of forgery in Illinois in 2008, but his family denies this accusation, asserting no charges exist.
The authorities cited the forgery case to refuse Mr. Singh's release on a $10,000 bond granted by an immigration judge, Ms. Virk said.
A private investigator hired by the family found no criminal records for any Paramjit Singh in Illinois, suggesting possible confusion with another individual.
The BBC has also sought clarification from ICE regarding the alleged forgery case.
Singh's attorney plans to contest the detention, describing it as unethical. We are taking legal steps to prevent his deportation from the US, Angeles remarked.
Meanwhile, Mr. Singh's health condition continues to cause concern for his family as his second brain tumor surgery has been postponed due to his detention. His family encounters difficulties in communicating with him at the detention center due to limited phone access and his deteriorating health.
Mr. Singh's case is scheduled for a hearing on October 14. His detention comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown by the US government on immigration, particularly affecting those deemed illegal immigrants.
Critics argue that lawful immigrants complying with regulations have also been unfairly targeted in this enforcement climate.
This situation mirrors previous incidents, including the deportation of Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother who had lived in the US for over three decades, an event that has fueled outrage within the Sikh community.
