RAJAHMUNDRY: Venkata Narasamamba Vasamsetty, the Indian-origin woman and US legal permanent resident who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite having her immigration case dismissed by a judge has been granted bail by a federal court in Georgia, according to her family.Venkata, who hails from a village near Amalapuram in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, was detained by ICE on August 11 after returning to the US following an extended stay in India. She has been a legal permanent resident of the US for nearly three decades and has held a green card since 2013.Venkata moved to the US in 1999 after her husband, who works in the software sector, had already settled there. She currently works as a teacher with the Wake County Public School System.Her family told TOI that she had frequently travelled to India to visit her ailing father, and alleged that her prolonged stays in India eventually led to her detention.
Venkata’s family said that she had frequently travelled to India to visit her ailing father.
The family expressed concern over what they described as the treatment meted out to Venkata following her detention.They alleged that she was handcuffed and transported in a closed van to a detention centre in Georgia, where, they claimed, the living conditions were poor.A family member also alleged that the prosecution strongly opposed Venkata’s bail plea, while not opposing bail in eight cases involving Mexican nationals who had allegedly crossed the US border illegally.The family said they were concerned by what they perceived as differential treatment of Indians in the US, particularly among those who have lived and worked there for years.Venkata’s two daughters are also settled professionally in the US, with one working as a doctor and the other as an immigration lawyer.Her family said the grant of bail has brought some relief but that they remain concerned about the circumstances surrounding her detention and the next steps in her immigration case.
- Frequent India visits became a liability: Venkata’s family says her repeated trips to India to care for her ailing father eventually became the issue behind her detention despite her long-term US residency.
- Bail hearing raises a discrimination allegation: Her family claims prosecutors strongly opposed Venkata’s release while not opposing bail in eight cases involving Mexican nationals accused of illegally crossing the US border.
- A life built in the US: Venkata moved there in 1999 after her software-professional husband had settled in the country and has since built a life there, including a teaching career and raising two daughters.
- Family questions detention conditions: Relatives allege Venkata was handcuffed and transported in a closed van to a Georgia detention facility, where they claim living conditions were poor.
- From an Andhra village to an American school system: Venkata’s journey spans nearly three decades, from Konaseema to a teaching job with the Wake County Public School System.
