NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Fort Wayne, IN, September 16, 2025: A Fort Wayne businessman and lawful permanent resident has been detained by immigration authorities at Chicago O’Hare Airport after returning from India, sparking outrage from his family and attorney who say the 30-year U.S. resident is being held despite urgent medical needs.
Paramjit Singh, who operates a business in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was stopped at O’Hare International Airport on July 30 after completing a routine trip to India. According to his family, Singh makes the journey several times a year. Instead of being allowed to return home, Singh was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and held inside the airport for five days.
Singh suffers from a brain tumor and a heart condition. During his detention, his health deteriorated to the point where he had to be rushed to the emergency room. His family says they were not notified of the hospitalization until they received a bill for his medical stay.
Singh’s attorney, Luis Angeles, told Newsweek and local news station WPTA that the detention stems from an incident decades ago involving the use of a pay phone without payment. Singh had already taken responsibility for the infraction, served his sentence, and paid his debt to society, the attorney said.
“As a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Mr. Singh should never have been detained in the first place, as he has always followed the rules to the letter,” Angeles said. “We often hear the mantra of ‘follow the rules’ to achieve legal status in this country. Well, that’s exactly what he did: he entered the United States lawfully, adjusted his status properly, built his American dream through hard work, and has been a significant contributor to his community.”
Singh’s attorneys filed for a bond redetermination and won a bond hearing, but DHS has not released him. Instead, the government has continued to hold him, employing what Angeles described as “legal—yet arguably unethical—tactics” to prolong detention despite full knowledge of his severe medical condition.
“We filed for a bond redetermination and successfully won the bond hearing. However, DHS has continued to employ tactics to prolong his detention, despite being fully aware of his severe medical condition, which requires emergency surgery. The government is holding him without justifiable cause, exacerbating his health risks and causing immense distress to his family,” Angeles said.
The legal team has filed an appeal and plans to seek immediate federal court review of DHS’s decision. Meanwhile, Singh’s family has been trying to post bond but say they have been unable to get clear communication with officials. “We’re just trying to post the bond, we’re just trying to speak to someone, trying to communicate with someone. We’re lost,” said his brother, Charanjit Singh.
A Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson told Newsweek: “A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused. Lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention and/or may be asked to provide additional documentation to be set up for an immigration hearing.”
Immigrant rights advocates note that Singh’s case is not unique. Several green card holders have been detained based on decades-old offenses, including the recent case of Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, a Massachusetts mother who was held for 10 days over a marijuana conviction from years earlier. Like Singh, Rosa was hospitalized during her detention.
Singh’s legal team is preparing a federal court challenge, while his family continues to push for his immediate release on bond so he can undergo emergency surgery. Advocates warn that continued detention could put Singh’s life at grave risk.
