Who is Paramjit Singh, Indian-origin businessman detained by ICE for using a pay phone without paying

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained an Indian-origin businessman, Paramjit Singh for more than a month. According to a Newsweek report, Singh, who has been a green card holder for over 30 years, was held at Chicago O'Hare Airport in July.

Paramjit Singh, who was then returning from an India trip, was detained citing an old incident when he used a pay phone without paying. Singh's attorney Luis Angeles told the publication that the detainment has been "nothing short of horrific" for him and his family.

Who is Paramjit Singh

Paramjit Singh runs a business in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the past three decades. He has a brain tumour and heart condition. His family told local news station WPTA that he makes several trips to India for his treatment. Singh was detained by ICE on July 30 when he was returning from one such trip to India. As per reports, he was kept inside the airport for five days where his condition deteriorated to the point where he had to be taken to the emergency room (ER).Angeles told Newsweek that Paramjit’s family was not notified of the ER visit until they received a bill for his medical stay.

Why is Paramjit Singh detained

As mentioned above, Paramjit Singh was detained over an old incident where he used a pay phone without making any payment.

Angeles calls it a "minor infraction for which he has already taken full accountability, served his time, and paid his debt to society."Stating that efforts to secure his release have been “exhaustive but frustrating,” Angeles said“We filed for a bond redetermination and successfully won the bond hearing. However, DHS has continued to employ what I would describe as legal—yet arguably unethical—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”.

Not a first

The Newsweek report says that Paramjit’s case is not an isolated incident. Several green card holders have been detained recently on the basis of their decades-old legal issues. The publication cites a similar case of Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, a Massachusetts mother who was held for 10 days based on a decades-old marijuana conviction. As per the report, she was taken to the hospital while being held in the airport without access to medication.