(COLUMBIA, MISSOURI) Federal authorities have detained a longtime Columbia, Missouri, resident and green card holder after citing past drug convictions, placing him in ICE detention while removal proceedings move forward. Owen Ramsingh, who has held a U.S. green card since 1986, was taken into custody on September 27, 2025, after landing at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago upon returning from the Netherlands.
He remains in custody as of September 30 and, according to his wife, Diana, was being transferred to a detention center in El Paso, Texas, with a court date set for October 15 in Illinois.
Case background and charges
Ramsingh’s case turns on criminal convictions that date back years. Records cited by federal authorities include:
- a 1997 conviction for cocaine possession in Nebraska
- an expunged 2011 marijuana possession conviction in Boone County
While the marijuana offense was later expunged, immigration officials can still review a person’s criminal history when making detention and removal decisions. The agency’s actions underscore how even older convictions can carry serious immigration consequences for a green card holder who travels abroad and reenters the United States.
Family reaction and logistical impact
Family members and local community contacts say the arrest was a shock. Diana said her husband was stopped after arriving in Chicago and held for transfer to a facility along the southern border.
The decision to move him far from Columbia, Missouri, adds travel and cost burdens for relatives who hope to attend hearings or arrange legal help. It also highlights a common challenge in immigration enforcement: people can be held in one state while their cases are scheduled in another, making communication and planning harder for families trying to support detained loved ones.
Key practical effects for families include:
- Increased travel costs and time to attend hearings out of state
- Difficulty coordinating with attorneys because of distance and limited detention phone access
- Uncertainty around court dates and transfers that may change with little notice
- Managing household responsibilities and finances while the detained person is unavailable
Detention timeline
The timeline in Ramsingh’s case is straightforward:
- He returned from international travel and arrived at O’Hare on September 27, 2025.
- He was detained based on prior convictions cited by immigration authorities.
- Authorities pointed to the 1997 Nebraska cocaine possession and the 2011 Boone County marijuana possession (expunged).
- As of September 30, Ramsingh remained in ICE custody and, according to family, was being transferred toward El Paso, Texas.
- A hearing is scheduled for October 15 in Illinois.
The use of an expunged conviction in immigration matters can surprise families, but immigration practice often treats expungements differently than criminal courts do. That difference helps explain how a green card holder who has lived in the U.S. for decades can still face detention tied to prior conduct.
Legal framework
Immigration law treats permanent residence as a status that can be lost if certain crimes occur. Important points:
- A green card is permission to live and work long term, but it is not absolute.
- Federal policy allows immigration officers to stop a permanent resident returning from a trip abroad, review old convictions, and start removal proceedings where the law permits.
- Officers can detain lawful permanent residents with drug-related convictions while the matter proceeds before an immigration judge.
VisaVerge.com has analyzed how federal law lets immigration officers detain lawful permanent residents with drug-related convictions while cases are adjudicated.
“Permanent residence can be revoked for specific conduct,” — the legal framework applied in these cases treats certain drug offenses as grounds for removal.
For background on how detention works, readers can visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Why drug offenses matter in immigration cases
The focus on drug offenses is not new. Under U.S. immigration rules:
- Certain drug crimes can trigger removal because Congress and the courts categorize them as deportable offenses.
- The government’s position is that these are civil proceedings, not criminal, and detention helps ensure appearance in court and enforcement of final orders.
- The classification of an offense under immigration law often depends on the exact wording of the conviction record.
VisaVerge.com reports that these cases frequently hinge on legal classification and record language rather than solely on how long ago an offense occurred.
Local and community implications
For immigrants across mid-Missouri, the case carries a clear message: even older drug cases can have lasting effects on immigration status. Community groups in Columbia note that many people assume time, expungement, or a completed sentence removes all legal risk — but immigration rules operate separately.
Practical community impacts include:
- Families facing sudden disruption to work and finances
- Limited access to detained relatives because of distance and detention restrictions
- Community organizations needing to provide legal referrals and logistical support
Neighbors and friends worry about what comes next and how long the process will take. Detention commonly means limited phone access, strict schedules, and fewer opportunities to meet lawyers in person. When the person is moved out of state, the distance compounds these challenges.
What comes next
Officials have not released additional details about their next steps. What is clear:
- The government is relying on a long-standing rule that permanent residents can be detained and placed in removal if the record shows qualifying drug convictions.
- For a green card holder like Ramsingh, who has lived in the country since the 1980s, the case is a stark reminder of how federal law treats drug offenses in immigration contexts.
- As the case proceeds, observers will watch whether long residence and family ties weigh against the old convictions, or whether the government presses ahead based on the offenses alone.
Families and community members are likely to focus on the October 15 hearing in Illinois while managing daily life in Columbia, Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Article in a Nutshell
Owen Ramsingh, a Columbia, Missouri resident and lawful permanent resident since 1986, was detained by ICE at O’Hare Airport on September 27, 2025, after returning from the Netherlands. Federal authorities cited a 1997 Nebraska cocaine possession conviction and a 2011 Boone County marijuana conviction—later expunged—as grounds for detention and initiation of removal proceedings. As of September 30, Ramsingh remained in custody and, according to family, was being transferred toward El Paso, Texas; his immigration hearing is scheduled for October 15 in Illinois. The move far from Columbia complicates family travel, legal coordination, and communication. The case underscores that expunged or older drug convictions can still be considered in immigration enforcement and that permanent residency is vulnerable to specific criminal findings under federal immigration law.
