An Indian-origin man has been held in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for nearly a month over what officials described as a “very old case”, according to multiple media reports.
Paramjit Singh, a businessman based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was taken into custody on July 30 at Chicago O’Hare Airport as he returned from India. Singh, who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years, is a permanent resident and father of US-born children. His attorney, Luis Angeles, told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security cited an old case as the basis for the detention, though details have not been publicly disclosed.
Singh’s health has worsened during custody. Suffering from a brain tumour, he was reportedly kept at the airport for five days before his condition deteriorated, forcing a transfer to the emergency room. His family only learned of the hospital stay after receiving a medical bill. He was then placed in a detention centre in Indiana for 20 days before being moved to another facility in Kentucky.