Venkata Narsamamba Vasamsetty, a 58-year-old special needs teacher, homeowner, and grandmother of three US citizen grandchildren, walked into the Charlotte office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 11, 2026, for what she believed was a routine check-in. She carried a copy of a May 19, 2026, immigration judge's order terminating her removal proceedings -- a legal victory that affirmed her lawful permanent resident status after nearly three decades in the United States. She did not walk out.

Instead, ICE officers handcuffed Vasamsetty, placed her in custody, and transferred her to the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia -- a facility shuttered in 2021 following credible reports of medical neglect, abuse, and human rights violations, and recently reopened amid renewed scrutiny. Her family says she was denied adequate insulin, diabetes-appropriate meals, and culturally sensitive food, raising urgent concerns about her health in detention.

The detention has ignited outrage among immigration advocates, legal experts, and local community members, who describe the move as a blatant disregard for due process, judicial authority, and basic human dignity.

A trip to care for dying parents

Vasamsetty, a legal permanent resident since 2013, has spent nearly 30 years in the United States. She is a teacher with the Wake County Public School System, where she works with children with unique needs. She owns a home in Cary, North Carolina. Her children and grandchildren are US citizens. She has no criminal record -- not even a speeding ticket.

In July 2022, Vasamsetty traveled to India to care for her elderly father, who was suffering from multiple severe medical conditions. While there, she contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for nearly two weeks in November 2022. Her return to the US was delayed due to her illness and other medical complications. She finally returned through Raleigh-Durham International Airport in February 2023, after being outside the country for about seven months.

At the airport, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers accused her of having abandoned her green card by staying out “so long.” ICE placed her in removal proceedings but initially allowed her to return home to her family while the case played out. The only requirement was that she report to ICE’s Charlotte office on a regular basis.

Legal victory, then a bureaucratic black hole

Vasamsetty attended every single ICE appointment. Her immigration attorney filed paperwork with the immigration court, denying that she had abandoned her green card. A mound of documents proved that Vasamsetty did not have the slightest intention of abandoning her residency, her home, her livelihood, or her family.

DHS had a deadline to prove its case against Vasamsetty. It blew through it. No filing, no evidence, nothing. The immigration judge said it plainly: "DHS has not met their burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent is removable as charged."

On May 19, 2026, the judge terminated the case against Vasamsetty. DHS never proved its claims. From that day, she was no longer in removal proceedings — and she remained a lawful permanent resident.

Unfortunately, Vasamsetty still had a scheduled ERO check-in on July 11, 2026. Even though she was no longer in deportation, and should not have been required to attend any further appointments, ICE did not cancel them, and Vasamsetty duly reported as she was asked.

She attended her next appointment as scheduled on July 11, 2026, bringing with her a copy of the judge’s order dismissing her deportation case.

Instead of being told that she no longer needed to report, she was told to come back in another month, as ICE had “not updated their records,” and “the attorney wasn’t there” that day. On August 11, accompanied by her daughter, Vasamsetty went into the Charlotte ICE office once more. She did not come out.

Legal Loophole: The "arriving alien" designation

Immigration lawyer Zoe Ji Wilson, who is representing Vasamsetty, says ICE’s detention of her client is legally dubious and morally indefensible. Wilson explains that DHS issued a new Notice to Appear the day after Vasamsetty was detained, charging her as an “arriving alien” -- a designation that treats her as someone seeking admission to the United States rather than a longtime permanent resident already living here.

Because of that designation, Vasamsetty is ineligible for bond before an immigration judge. Practically, that means she doesn’t even get the opportunity to seek release based on the factors that would ordinarily matter in a bond determination, including her lack of criminal history, decades of residence in the United States, and extensive family and community ties.

Wilson says the “arriving alien” designation is a legal loophole that DHS is exploiting to detain Vasamsetty indefinitely without bond. "The government can’t demand strict compliance with the law from immigrants while disregarding the legal rules and deadlines that bind the government itself," Wilson said. "Deadlines can’t matter only when an immigrant misses them. Court orders can’t matter only when they favor the government."

Medical neglect concerns in a notorious detention facility

Vasamsetty has severe insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus and requires daily medications and close monitoring. Her family says she has been provided inadequate care and no appropriate accommodations for culturally sensitive food that is appropriate for a diabetic.

Irwin County Detention Center, where Vasamsetty is being held, was shut down in 2021 following credible reports of medical neglect, abuse, and human rights violations.

A 2025 Senate investigation uncovered credible reports of medical neglect, denial of adequate food or water, and untreated diabetes complications in immigration detention facilities, including Irwin.

Federal detention regulations require detainees have “timely access” to emergency care, but recent reports suggest that one rural immigration detention center in Georgia has failed to meet these standards. A 2023 report noted that a diabetic individual only received their first diabetic meal three months into detention after OIDO staff intervened.

Community outrage, legal challenges ahead

The detention has sparked outrage among Vasamsetty’s students, colleagues, and community members in Cary.

"She’s a dedicated teacher who nurtures children with unique needs," said one parent. "Her presence and dedication have been invaluable, providing stability and care to those who need it most. ICE’s actions disregard her legal status and threaten the well-being of the children and families she supports."

Wilson says Vasamsetty’s legal team is exploring all options, including filing a habeas petition in federal court to challenge her detention. "This isn’t just a file. This isn’t an A-number. This is a human being,” Wilson said. "She's severely diabetic. She requires glucose monitoring and medical care. She's a teacher. She’s a mother and a grandmother."

Wilson added that Vasamsetty's case is a stark reminder of the broader vulnerabilities in the US immigration system. "I can't stop thinking about the people sitting in immigration detention right now who have none of that. People being detained, harassed, separated from their families, and denied meaningful due process, while the government exercises an extraordinary amount of power over their lives with seemingly no accountability."

A call for immediate release

Vasamsetty's family, legal team, and community supporters are calling on ICE to release her immediately, respecting the lawful ruling and allowing her to return to her vital roles in her family and community.

"The legal dismissal of her immigration case should have ensured her freedom, yet this oversight persists," said one supporter. "It is crucial to address this grave error immediately, not just for Venkata, but for the principles of justice and humanity."

As Vasamsetty remains in detention, her story has become a rallying point for immigration advocates across the country.

"If this can happen to Yesh’s mother, people need to understand what this means," Wilson said. "It means lawful status, decades of compliance, a clean record, a court order, and even basic medical vulnerability may still not be enough to protect someone from being detained and stripped of their freedom. That should terrify all of us."

An online petition campaign has been launched in support of Vasamsetty. If you want to sign the petition, CLICK HERE (https://www.change.org/p/free-venkata-judge-terminated-her-case-ice-detained-her-anyway?)