RALEIGH, N.C. (Diya TV) — Indian American teacher Venkata Narasamamba Vasamsetty is set to return to her family after an immigration judge granted her bail following nearly two weeks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
Sen. Jay Chaudhuri announced the decision in a post on X. He said the judge set bail at $7,500 and found that the Department of Homeland Security had not shown that Vasamsetty posed a flight risk.
“Venkata Vasamsetty is coming home,” Chaudhuri wrote.
More than 50 relatives, friends and coworkers joined Vasamsetty’s virtual bond hearing. Meanwhile, a petition seeking her release gathered more than 8,000 signatures. Chaudhuri thanked those who supported the petition and Rep. Deborah Ross for speaking out about the case.
Vasamsetty, a mother and grandmother, has lived in the United States for nearly three decades. She moved to the country in 1999 after her husband, a software professional, settled there. She later received her green card in 2013.
Originally from a village near Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Konaseema district, Vasamsetty built her life in North Carolina. She worked as a teacher in Wake County public schools and raised two daughters. One daughter is a doctor, while the other works as an immigration attorney. Her children and grandchildren are U.S. citizens.
Her immigration case began in 2022 after she traveled to India to visit her ailing father. During the trip, she contracted COVID-19. As a result, she delayed her return to the United States by more than six months.
After she returned, DHS argued that she had abandoned her lawful permanent resident status because she stayed outside the country for an extended period. However, immigration authorities allowed her to remain in the United States while the case moved through immigration court.
Vasamsetty also had to attend regular ICE check-ins in Charlotte. Her family said she followed every requirement and attended all scheduled appointments. Her attorney also submitted documents that argued she never intended to abandon her home, family, job, or permanent resident status.
In May, an immigration judge ended the removal case after the government failed to meet a court deadline. The judge found that the government had not provided clear and convincing evidence that Vasamsetty was removable as charged.
That ruling allowed Vasamsetty to keep her lawful permanent resident status. However, her ICE check-ins continued.
On July 11, Vasamsetty went to the Charlotte ICE office for a scheduled appointment. According to her family, she brought a copy of the immigration judge’s order. Officials reportedly asked her to return the following month because ICE records had not yet reflected the ruling. Her attorney was also unavailable that day.
Vasamsetty returned to the office on Aug. 11 with her daughter. Her family said ICE took her into custody there. Authorities later transferred her to the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia.
Vasamsetty reportedly has severe insulin-dependent diabetes and needs daily medication and regular medical monitoring. Her family alleged that she did not receive adequate medical care or food suited to her condition while in detention.
The judge’s bail decision now clears the way for Vasamsetty to reunite with her family in Wake County.
Chaudhuri welcomed the decision but said Vasamsetty’s detention should never have happened.
“While I’m relieved this nightmare is ending, it should never have happened to her, or to anyone,” he wrote. “Wake County is ready to welcome her home.”
