Venkata Vasamsetty, the Indian-origin grandmother who has been living in the US for decades with a Green Card and has a house in North Carolina, two US citizen daughters and US-born grandchildren, was granted bail after her ICE detention. But the immigration case is not solved. Vasamsetty was detained by ICE in August during an immigration check-in. The issue arose after Vasamsetty traveled to India during the Covid pandemic and stayed in India for over six months as she got Covid and had to be hospitalized. On her return to the US, it was flagged that she had overstayed in India and that a legal case was going on.Her family claimed that she won the legal case as it was proved that Vasamsetty did not intend to abandon her residency in the US by her overstay in India. But she was still called for her immigration check-in on August 11, when she was detained.
Not a danger to the community but poses flight risk
During Tuesday’s bond hearing, Department of Homeland Security attorney Abby Cannon said Vasamsetty was not a danger to the community but she posed a significant flight risk. The DHS cited Vasamsetty’s travel history between the United States and India, telling the judge that she spent 61 days in the United States in 2019, 96 days in 2021 and 67 days in 2022. A Green Card holder is required to reside in the US for six months.DHS argued that her time abroad raised questions about whether she maintained her permanent residency and demonstrated an ability to leave the country again.Vasamsetty’s attorney, Helen Parsonage, argued that these trips were mostly for caring her aging parents, including her father before his death. Vasamsetty’s family also said they are disputing her travel dates overall, arguing that no exact timetable was brought in or agreed to as evidence to explain how they arrived at the numbers they did, ABC11 reported.Parsonage argues that Vasamsetty was unlikely to flee and she never missed an immigration court appearance or ICE check-in in her earlier removal case. He also said that Vasamsetty did not have any criminal history.Judge Chad Bayse agreed that Vasamsetty’s history of compliance weighed heavily in the decision. He found that DHS had not met its burden of proving that she would flee if released. Bayse pointed to Vasamsetty’s long-standing ties to the United States, including her husband, two US-citizen daughters, grandchildren, a home, tax returns dating back to at least 2012, business ties, and her work as an elementary school substitute teacher. The judge did find that some flight risk exists because Vasamsetty has the resources and history to travel internationally. So he denied the request for the minimum bond and set bail at $7,500.
Conditions for Vasamsetty’s release
Vasamsetty must appear at all future court dates, comply with court orders and avoid arrests, illegal drugs and harmful contact with others.DHS has the right to appeal the bond decision. The judge set a September 24 deadline for the government to do so.
