En esta noticia
The case set off alarm bells among permanent residents of the United States: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a grandmother and teacher with a green card since 2013, even though an immigration judge had already closed the deportation proceedings against her.
The woman, who had no criminal record, had spent seven months outside the country to care for her sick father.
ICE detained a grandmother with a green card since 2013 and legally in the country for 27 years
The woman detained is Venkata Vasamsetty, a 59-year-old teacher who works with students with special needs in the Wake County public school system in North Carolina. She has been a legal permanent resident since 2013, is the mother of two U.S. citizen children, and the grandmother of two grandchildren who are also citizens.
ICE detained her on August 11, 2026, when she showed up for a check-in appointment in Charlotte, North Carolina, which, according to her lawyer, she was not legally required to attend. She was taken to a detention center in Georgia. Her family and legal team stress that she has no criminal record and that she has lived legally in the country for more than 27 years.
A judge had closed the deportation case against her: they detained her anyway
This is the part that is most surprising about the case. Proceedings had been initiated in 2022 because of a prolonged absence from the country, but on May 19, 2026 an immigration judge closed the deportation case after concluding that the government had not met the clear and convincing evidence standard to prove that the woman had abandoned her residence.
Despite that favorable ruling, ICE detained her months later during a subsequent check. According to her legal team, officials at the Charlotte office argued that their internal records had not been updated after the judge’s decision. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for its part, says it detained her because it considered her removable for having abandoned her permanent resident status.
The risk of losing a green card by staying outside the country for six months
The case highlights a rule that many permanent residents do not know. U.S. immigration law (INA §101(a)(13)(C)(ii)) states that a permanent resident who is absent from the country for more than 180 days (six months) may be treated, upon return, as if seeking to enter the country again. This allows for greater scrutiny at the border.
The risk increases with longer absences: a departure of one year or more can, in some cases, invalidate the green card as a travel document. The tool to protect oneself is the reentry permit (Form I-131), which must be requested from within the United States before leaving the country.
The issue is especially relevant for the Latino community: according to the DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Mexico accounts for nearly a quarter of all permanent residents in the country, the largest group.