New York, 18 Sept

An Indian-origin man, who has lived in the US for more than 30 years and is a green card holder, has been kept in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for almost a month over a “very old case”, according to media reports.

Paramjit Singh, a businessman from Fort Wayne, was arrested at Chicago O’Hare Airport on 30 July upon arrival from India due to an old case, 21 Alive news portal reported.

Singh has earned permanent resident status and is the father of US-born children, the report added.

ICE pointed out that according to the Department of Homeland Security, the reason for detention was a very old case against him, Singh’s attorney Luis Angeles was quoted as saying in the report.

Singh, suffering from a brain tumour, was kept at the airport for five days and then was moved to the ER after his condition deteriorated, the report said.

His family was not notified of the ER visit until they received a bill for his medical stay, the Newsweek quoted Angeles as saying.

Singh was kept at a detention centre in Indiana for 20 days, and after that, he was moved to another detention facility in Kentucky.

“A judge decided that he is eligible for bond, and granted a bond,” Angeles said, but added that the agency is using “court tactics” and bending the rules to keep Singh detained.

“We believe that he has a strong case for a federal judge to decide that what DHS has done is not correct, and he should be released immediately,” Angeles said.

Meanwhile, Singh’s brother, Charanjit Singh, said they are trying to post a bond and communicate with the Department of Homeland Security.

Angeles said the next step for them is to take the case to a federal court.

Several green card holders have been detained in US based on decades-old legal issues, Newsweek said.