For over two months, Paramjit Singh, 48, a US green card holder battling a brain tumour and a heart condition, has been held in a detention centre by US immigration authorities.
Mr Singh, an Indian passport holder, has lived in the US on a green card since 1994. He resides in Indiana with his family, who own a chain of gas stations. His wife and two children are US citizens.
However, Mr Singh now faces the threat of deportation.
On July 30, he was detained by immigration authorities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport while returning from a trip to India and has since remained in their custody.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities have cited two decades-old cases as reasons for his detention, but Mr Singh's family and lawyer assert that there are no active cases against him.
They accuse immigration authorities of leveraging old cases to delay his release and claim he lacks necessary medical care despite suffering from serious health conditions.
Paramjit Singh is not getting the medical help he needs. He is only getting medical check-ups, his lawyer, Louis Angeles, explained to the BBC.
The BBC has reached out to ICE for a response to these allegations.
Mr Singh has frequently traveled to India without immigration issues, as affirmed by his niece Kiran Virk. This time, his family waited seven hours at Chicago airport for his arrival.
Ms Virk reported that immigration officials indicated Mr Singh's detention stemmed from a 1999 case. Despite their appeals, he remained at the airport for five days before being transferred to a detention centre.
The case involves Mr Singh using a public telephone without paying. Records show he served 10 days in prison and paid a fine, although this conviction has blocked his US citizenship.
Ms Virk alleges immigration authorities claimed that Mr Singh still had a one-and-a-half-year sentence, with only the initial 10 days dismissed.
Authorities have also asserted that Mr Singh was convicted of forgery in 2008, but his family maintains that these charges do not exist against him.
Ms Virk mentioned that a private investigator hired by the family found no criminal records for a Paramjit Singh in the state, suggesting possible identity confusion by authorities.
As the case proceeds, Mr Singh's lawyer intends to challenge the detention, labeling it unethical, asserting that they will also pursue legal avenues to prevent his deportation.
The family continues to express concern over Mr Singh's declining health, as his second brain tumour surgery has been postponed due to his detention. They struggle with communication challenges amidst limited phone access at the detention centre and his deteriorating health.
His case is scheduled to be heard on October 14.
This incident reflects broader concerns regarding immigration policies under the Trump administration, which has been accused of targeting individuals without criminal records who comply with legal procedures.
In September, another incident involving the deportation of Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother who had lived in the US for over three decades, ignited anger within the Sikh community.
