An Indian man from Arkansas, Kapil Raghu, is seeking to restore his visa after being detained for a month by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when authorities mistakenly believed a bottle of perfume in his car contained opium. The charges were later dropped, according to a report by The Guardian.
Raghu, who is married to an American citizen and is working towards securing US citizenship, was stopped on May 3 in Benton, a suburb of Little Rock, for a minor traffic violation. Police discovered a small perfume bottle labeled “Opium” and arrested him for possessing narcotics. Bodycam footage shows officers telling Raghu, “You got a vial of opium that was in your center console. Go and take a seat.”
“I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations,” Raghu told the Saline Courier, adding he was making a food delivery at the time. His wife, Ashley Mays, said at the scene, “I’m confused on why he’s going to jail.”
The Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed the substance was perfume, not opium. As per the Guardian report, Raghu spent three days in Saline County Jail before ICE took him into custody due to an “administrative/legal error” showing his visa had expired. He was then detained at a federal immigration facility in Louisiana for 30 days.
“She used to call me every night,” Raghu said, recalling the emotional strain on his wife and stepdaughter.
Although a district court judge dropped the charges on May 20, Raghu’s work visa was revoked. His attorney, Mike Laux, said, “It is my understanding that, though released, Kapil now has a ‘deportation’ status, meaning he can be immediately deported for any minor offense, even jaywalking. But, more crucially, this classification bars him from working and earning money for his family, which has been devastating for them.”
Raghu has sent a letter to ICE’s legal office, requesting proper legal channels to resolve his immigration status. In the letter, he acknowledged, “My immigration attorney had failed to timely file the required paperwork before my visa expired, which left me vulnerable and placed me in my current situation.”
He added, “My wife, who has always been my greatest support, is carrying the entire financial burden alone, as I am currently unable to work. The mounting legal fees and the pressure of not being able to contribute have created a difficult situation for our family, and it has become increasingly challenging to manage.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not yet commented on Raghu’s case.
Raghu, who is married to an American citizen and is working towards securing US citizenship, was stopped on May 3 in Benton, a suburb of Little Rock, for a minor traffic violation. Police discovered a small perfume bottle labeled “Opium” and arrested him for possessing narcotics. Bodycam footage shows officers telling Raghu, “You got a vial of opium that was in your center console. Go and take a seat.”
“I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations,” Raghu told the Saline Courier, adding he was making a food delivery at the time. His wife, Ashley Mays, said at the scene, “I’m confused on why he’s going to jail.”
The Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed the substance was perfume, not opium. As per the Guardian report, Raghu spent three days in Saline County Jail before ICE took him into custody due to an “administrative/legal error” showing his visa had expired. He was then detained at a federal immigration facility in Louisiana for 30 days.
“She used to call me every night,” Raghu said, recalling the emotional strain on his wife and stepdaughter.
Although a district court judge dropped the charges on May 20, Raghu’s work visa was revoked. His attorney, Mike Laux, said, “It is my understanding that, though released, Kapil now has a ‘deportation’ status, meaning he can be immediately deported for any minor offense, even jaywalking. But, more crucially, this classification bars him from working and earning money for his family, which has been devastating for them.”
Raghu has sent a letter to ICE’s legal office, requesting proper legal channels to resolve his immigration status. In the letter, he acknowledged, “My immigration attorney had failed to timely file the required paperwork before my visa expired, which left me vulnerable and placed me in my current situation.”
He added, “My wife, who has always been my greatest support, is carrying the entire financial burden alone, as I am currently unable to work. The mounting legal fees and the pressure of not being able to contribute have created a difficult situation for our family, and it has become increasingly challenging to manage.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not yet commented on Raghu’s case.
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