Judge Orders Deportation for Columbia Man Detained by ICE

(EL PASO, TEXAS) An immigration judge in El Paso has ordered long‑time U.S. resident Owen Ramsingh to be removed from the 🇺🇸, a decision that stems from a teenage conviction for cocaine possession and has left his family fighting to stop his deportation while he remains locked in a Texas detention center under harsh conditions.

How Ramsingh was detained and charged with removal

Ramsingh, who holds a green card and came to the United States as a child in the 1980s, was stopped earlier this year when he landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago after a trip to the Netherlands.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers detained him on arrival, flagged his old drug conviction, and turned him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which moved him to a detention facility near El Paso.

At his first immigration court hearing in El Paso, the judge signaled some willingness to slow the process and said removal could be halted if Ramsingh’s legal team provided more documents about his background and immigration history.
Even with that opening, lawyers warn that the order of removal still hangs over him, and any favorable ruling could be appealed. Under immigration rules described in court, the government would have 30 days to appeal if the judge later decides to cancel or block his deportation.

Government’s case and DHS statements

The government’s case focuses on Ramsingh’s teenage conviction for cocaine possession, which federal officials say makes him deportable despite his decades in the country as a lawful permanent resident.
In a statement reported in coverage of the case, the Department of Homeland Security called him a “criminal alien” and stressed that a green card is a privilege, not a right, reflecting how the agency views non‑citizens with criminal records — even when those crimes are many years old.

Family background and legal complexities

For Ramsingh and his family, the label feels deeply at odds with the life he built in Missouri after arriving as a child. Relatives say he has spent most of his life in Columbia, Missouri, and that his ties to the city run far deeper than to the country of his birth.

They argue that as the stepchild of a U.S. citizen, he should have some claim to citizenship rights. Lawyers note, however, that stepchild immigration rules are complex and often depend on exact timing and paperwork that may or may not have been filed decades ago.

Conditions in detention and health concerns

Conditions inside the Texas detention center have added another layer of strain. Reports say Ramsingh has:

• Very limited space
• Shared bathrooms with many other detainees
• No access to an electrical outlet for his CPAP machine, which he needs for sleep apnea

Family members say this has left him exhausted and worried about his health as he tries to prepare his legal defense from behind barbed wire, with only short, controlled visits and phone calls.

Legal context: how old convictions can trigger deportation

Immigration lawyers who follow similar cases note that long‑time green card holders are often stunned to learn a past plea deal can trigger removal many years later. Federal immigration law treats some drug convictions, including cocaine possession in certain circumstances, as grounds for deportation, even if state courts long ago imposed only light sentences.

Guidance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services warns permanent residents that serious crimes can lead to loss of status and removal. Those warnings were far less visible when many people, like Ramsingh, first received their green cards decades ago.

Key takeaway: A decades‑old conviction can still have severe immigration consequences today.

Alleged “self‑deporting” offer and Ramsingh’s choice

His family says ICE not only detained him but also offered him $1,000 if he would sign away his green card and agree to leave the United States on his own. Advocates refer to this as a “self‑deporting policy.”

• Purpose: Allows the government to close cases quickly and avoid drawn‑out court fights.
• Critics’ concern: Detainees may feel cornered into signing when they are scared, alone, and desperate to escape poor detention conditions.

Ramsingh refused the offer and chose to fight his deportation in court. That decision has kept him detained longer, but it also gives his lawyers time to collect supporting evidence: school records, family documents, and immigration files that might support a claim to relief.

What his legal team and supporters are trying to show

Supporters and lawyers hope to demonstrate to the judge that:

• His life in the United States and long community ties outweigh the old conviction
• The age of the drug conviction should be considered
• Family ties and local support in Missouri argue against tearing him from his home

They are gathering:
– School records
– Family documents
– Immigration files
– Letters of support from friends, church groups, and community members

Local vs. federal roles and changing state cooperation

The case highlights tension in the Midwest over local police roles versus federal immigration agents.

• In Columbia and much of Missouri, city and county officers do not carry out deportations. Columbia police say they do not enforce administrative immigration laws and only work with ICE on specific criminal matters (e.g., human trafficking or major offenses that cross jurisdictions).
• That contrasts with what happens once someone enters the federal system at an airport or border crossing, where local policies offer no protection.

At the state level, Missouri is moving closer to federal cooperation. Governor Mike Kehoe has approved a plan for the Missouri National Guard to assist ICE with administrative work at processing centers beginning October 1, 2025.

• Scope: Guard members will not make arrests or conduct raids.
• Duties: Data entry, transportation, paperwork — tasks intended to free up federal agents for enforcement and deportation operations.

Supporters say this will strengthen enforcement and help federal agencies handle heavy caseloads. Civil rights groups and some community leaders worry such cooperation will increase fear among immigrant families, who may avoid contact with government services.

Human impact and ongoing efforts

For families like the Ramsinghs, these broader policy shifts are painfully personal. Each court date in El Paso means another period of uncertainty as they:

• Raise money for legal fees
• Gather letters of support
• Keep public attention on his situation through local media and church groups

Friends and supporters hope wider awareness might pressure officials to use discretion in his case.

Immigration news site VisaVerge.com is among the outlets tracking cases like Ramsingh’s, where long‑time residents with old convictions face removal while national debate over immigration enforcement intensifies. Advocates say these quieter, individual cases rarely drive headlines but show how current laws reach beyond recent border arrivals and into communities that have lived with immigrants for generations.

Current status and outlook

For now, Ramsingh remains in the Texas detention center, waiting for his lawyers to file additional documents with the El Paso immigration court. The judge’s earlier signal that he might halt removal if more evidence is provided offers a small opening, but the risk of appeal means any win could be temporary.

Until a final decision is made — and any appeals are resolved — his future will remain in limbo, caught between a teenage mistake, the harsh language of federal immigration law, and the life he has built over decades in the United States.