Green Card Holder Detained by ICE After Europe Trip Faces Deportation

• Green Card holder detained by ICE
• Detention after Europe trip
• Family demands immediate justice

A lawful permanent resident of nearly four decades in the United States is at risk of deportation after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon returning from a family trip to Europe.

The case of Owen Ramsingh has raised concerns over the use of decades-old convictions in immigration proceedings and has mobilized relatives and supporters seeking legal and community help.

Detention Puts His Green Card at Risk

Owen Ramsingh’s Arrest and Background

Owen Ramsingh arrived in Missouri in 1986 from the Netherlands and has held a Green Card ever since.

However, he was arrested on September 27 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to prior convictions for cocaine and marijuana possession nearly 30 years ago, according to DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“This criminal alien is in ICE custody awaiting deportation proceedings,” McLaughlin told Newsweek. “A Green Card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, the government has the authority to revoke a Green Card if our laws are violated or abused.”

Ramsingh’s family insists those convictions never affected his previous renewals and that he “has never broken any immigration laws.”

Voices of Support and Family Outcry

The detention has sparked anger and mobilization.

In a Facebook post, Samantha Gage — who launched a GoFundMe campaign for the family — wrote that the case stems from “a charge nearly 30 years ago,” when Owen Ramsingh, at just 16 years old, was “tried as an adult and convicted” without “representation, guidance, or support.”

Gage described it as “another devastating example of a system that failed him,” stressing that his record had never interfered with his immigration status and that “Owen has never violated immigration laws.”

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She added: “None of us would want to be judged for the rest of our lives by the worst day of our adolescence. A decision made 30 years ago does not justify the inhumane treatment Owen is enduring now.”

Condemning detention center conditions, she emphasized that Owen Ramsingh “is not a number, not a case file.

He is our brother, our family, our friend, our neighbor, an uncle, a husband. We love him. We miss him. And he deserves to come home.”

What’s Next for Owen Ramsingh’s Case

The legal process could take weeks to resolve.

His family says Ramsingh’s absence leaves them without stable income, as he worked multiple jobs as a property manager, repairman, and security guard at live music venues.

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Owen Ramsingh has an immigration court hearing scheduled in Illinois on October 15, but relatives and friends say securing legal representation has been difficult amid a backlog tied to shifting immigration policies.

Meanwhile, the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $9,000, and supporters are calling for letters of support to be sent to both the court and elected officials in hopes of securing his release and pursuing a possible path to citizenship.

Source: Newsweek