A green card holder spent nearly two months in detention on deportation proceedings, after getting stopped by federal authorities over a previous misdemeanor charge as he returned from vacation with his family.
Newsweek reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump vowed to remove millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a hardline mass deportation policy. However, concerns have been raised as dozens of cases have emerged of green card holders getting caught in the immigration raids.
What To Know
On January 9, Kunal Oberoi, 37, arrived at Detroit Metro Airport with his wife and children after a trip to visit relatives in India. An ICE agent stopped him and questioned him about a 2018 marijuana-related charge, The Independent reported.
Oberoi couldn’t recall the details of the incident, so the officer took his green card and instructed him to return with a copy of the police report.
When Oberoi came back on February 3 with the requested document, he handed it over to an ICE agent. Shortly afterward, he was taken into custody and transferred to the Calhoun County Correctional Facility, where he remained for the next two months before being released.
Oberoi legally immigrated to the United States two decades ago. He is married to a U.S. citizen, and his children were all born in the U.S.
His wife, Brooke Choquette, 32, voted for Trump, and Oberoi backed the administration.
Choquette runs a home daycare, and suddenly found herself as the family’s sole provider and caregiver. To help manage her husband’s legal expenses, she started a GoFundMe campaign.
“I thought that we were safe,” Choquette said in an interview, per The Independent.
In addition to the marijuana-related offense, Oberoi faced legal trouble in 2011 at age 18, when he was charged with assault following a fight at school, along with a separate charge for property damage. U.S. immigration law classifies individuals with controlled substance convictions as inadmissible, which gave immigration officials the legal authority to detain him, even though he held a green card.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) states that green card holders are allowed to live permanently in the U.S. as long as they avoid any actions that “would make you removable under immigration law.” Such actions include committing crimes or failing to file taxes.
On April 16, Oberoi appeared before an immigration judge to contest his potential deportation following nearly two months in detention.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
His attorney, Julian Daman, sought cancellation of removal—a legal provision allowing certain non-citizens to remain in the U.S. despite deportation proceedings. During the hearing, Oberoi expressed his desire to stay in the country to continue raising his family.
The judge acknowledged the positive aspects of Oberoi’s case, stating, “I always weigh things on a scale, good and bad. In this situation, I do feel that there’s more good than bad,” and ultimately dismissed the case. However, the judge warned that any future infractions could lead to deportation.
Following the hearing, Choquette made a six-hour drive with their children to reunite with her husband.
What People Are Saying
Kunal Oberoi’s wife, Brooke Choquette, on Facebook: “I can’t even put into words how awful and heartbreaking this experience has been. A absolute living nightmare.”
Family attorney Julian Daman told The Independent: “The attitude of ICE after Trump took office is really what kept him there.”
What Happens Next
Oberoi is currently in the process of seeking U.S. citizenship.
