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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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A longtime U.S. resident who has held a green card for nearly four decades is facing possible deportation after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon returning from a trip to Europe.
Owen Ramsingh, who immigrated to Missouri from the Netherlands in 1986 and has been a permanent resident since then, was arrested on September 27 due to previous convictions for cocaine and marijuana possession, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“This criminal alien is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings," McLaughlin told Newsweek. “A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused."
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Ramsingh's family say the convictions are from nearly 30 years ago, and that he has "never broken any immigration laws."
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Why It Matters
The Trump administration has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and has conducted numerous ICE raids.
ICE reported more than 66,000 arrests and 65,000 removals in the administration's first 100 days, with the daily detention population swelling to 55,000 people, well above pre-inauguration levels.
While officials have stressed that dangerous criminals are being targeted, federal data show that many detainees have no criminal record at all.
Trump's aggressive stance on immigration has resulted in widespread protests, especially in Los Angeles, where Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city after reported violence against law enforcement, specifically ICE agents carrying out deportation raids.
What To Know
In a post on Facebook, Samantha Gage who set up a GoFundMe page for Ramsingh's family, said his detention stems from “a charge nearly 30 years ago,” when at just 16 he was “tried as an adult and found guilty” despite having “no representation, no guidance, and no support.” She called it “another devastating example of the system failing him,” emphasizing that the conviction had never affected his past green card renewals and that “Owen has never broken any immigration laws.”
Ramsingh was stopped by ICE officers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport late Tuesday night. He had traveled to Europe, as he has annually for the past five years, to visit relatives.
Ramsingh’s family told ABC17 he was initially held in a temporary facility near Chicago for 80 hours before being transferred to a detention center in Texas. They described crowded conditions in detention, noting he has been restricted from using his CPAP machine despite being allowed access to daily medication.
The GoFundMe page set up to support his family also claims that there is "little space" in his detention facility, and there are "no real beds."
"Phone calls are limited, with 15-minute calls costing more than $50," a post on the page added.
Documents provided to KBIA by his family indicate that Ramsingh, who works as head of security at two Columbia music venues and as a property manager, applied to renew his green card—which grants lawful permanent residency—before it expired in March. By filing the renewal application on time, his status was automatically extended for 36 months.
Records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirm receipt also note that his "work and travel" privileges remain valid while the new card is being processed, according to KBIA. Newsweek has not reviewed these documents.
Gage said that Ramsingh's mother brought him to the U.S. at age 5, separating him from his father, who eventually located him during that case in the 1990s and has since built “an unbreakable bond” with him.
The 48-year green card holder was classified under the immigration category for "children of U.S. citizens," as his mother married an American serviceman in Europe before moving to the U.S. in the 1980s. According to attorneys consulted by his family, stepchildren of U.S. citizens are entitled to the same rights as biological children under immigration law, potentially giving Ramsingh a claim to citizenship.
But his family say it could be weeks before his case moves forward. "While his case is being processed, Owen’s family is left without his steady income. He has always worked tirelessly to provide for them, juggling multiple jobs, including property manager, handyman, and security at The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall," the GoFundMe page says.
"Now his family is trying to keep afloat while also facing the overwhelming process of navigating the immigration court system and working to secure an attorney to help with the process of proving his legal status."
Gage added that the “only path forward” is to try to overturn the old conviction, though the records are buried in archives. “None of us would want to be judged for the rest of our lives by our worst day as a teenager,” Gage added, insisting that “one choice made 30 years ago does not justify the inhumane treatment Owen is enduring now.”
Condemning ICE detention centers as “no place for human beings,” Gage stressed that Ramsingh is “not a number, not a case file. He is our brother, our family, our friend, our neighbor, an uncle, a husband. We love him. We miss him. And he deserves to come home.”
Meanwhile, supporters of Ramsingh are calling for letters of support to be submitted to the court and to elected officials as they push for his release.
So far, the GoFundMe page has raised over $9,000.
What Happens Next
Ramsingh is scheduled for an immigration court hearing in Illinois on October 15, but his family and friends say they have struggled to secure legal representation amid what attorneys describe as an overwhelming caseload tied to shifting immigration policies.
Update 10/01/2025, 10:24 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from DHS and additional information.
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