A man of Punjab descent, who was awaiting deportation due to his unauthorized entry into the United States, passes away in a hospital

An Indian national, awaiting deportation due to his illicit entry into the United States, has passed away at a medical facility in Atlanta, as announced by federal authorities on Wednesday.

The Indian Consulate in New York has been apprised of the demise of Jaspal Singh, aged 57, by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with confirmation that his immediate family has been duly informed.

Singh breathed his last at an Atlanta hospital on April 15. An autopsy is pending to ascertain the precise cause of his demise, as per ICE’s statement.

Having initially entered the US legally on October 25, 1992, as an Indian citizen, Singh received an order for his expulsion from the US on January 21, 1998, by an immigration judge. Subsequently, at an undisclosed date, Singh voluntarily returned to India.

However, on June 29, 2023, he was apprehended by officers of the US Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol while illegally attempting to reenter the United States via the US-Mexico Border.

Singh was then transferred into the custody of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Atlanta, by the Border Patrol. He was held at a federal processing center in Atlanta, where his immigration proceedings were underway.

Upon the passing of a non-citizen within a detention facility, it is incumbent upon the ERO to disseminate notifications to Congress, pertinent non-governmental organizations, stakeholders, and the media. Additionally, within a span of two business days, a news release containing relevant particulars is to be published on the agency’s public website.