An Indian-origin man in Arkansas is seeking to have his US visa reinstated after he was wrongfully arrested when local police mistook a bottle of perfume labeled "opium" for an illegal drug during a routine traffic stop, according to a UK daily Guardian report. Kapil Raghu was arrested in May and was sent to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre.
Kapil Raghu, an Indian national married to an American woman and working towards American citizenship, was detained on 3 May after police officers in Benton, a suburb of Little Rock, pulled him over for having a non-moving traffic violation.
What happened with Kapil Raghu on May 3?
During the traffic stop, police discovered a small perfume bottle in Raghu's car labeled "Opium" and assumed it contained an illegal narcotic. Despite Raghu explaining that it was merely perfume and that "opium" referred to the fragrance, officers arrested him for possession of a controlled substance.
According to the UK-based The Guardian, the incident was captured on bodycam footage, which showed officers telling Raghu, "You got a vial of opium that was in your center console."
"I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations," said Raghu, who told the Saline Courier that he was making a food delivery when he was stopped.
Ashley Mays, Raghu's wife, arrived at the scene and said, "I'm confused on why he's going to jail."
What was found in the bottle?
The Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that the bottle contained perfume, not opium.
Despite this, Raghu spent three days in the Saline County Jail, where authorities raised an issue with his immigration paperwork, claiming his visa had expired. His attorney, Mike Laux, described the alleged visa expiry as an "administrative error."
Afterward, Raghu was transferred to a federal immigration facility in Louisiana, where he was held for 30 days by ICE. Although the narcotics charge was dropped by a district court on May 20, his visa had been revoked during detention, severely impacting his legal status in the US.
"It is my understanding that, though released, Kapil now has a 'deportation' status, meaning he can be immediately deported for any minor offence, even jaywalking," The Guardian quoted his attorney, Mike Laux, as saying.
"But, more crucially, this classification bars him from working and earning money for his family, which has been devastating for them," Laux added.
Raghu sent a letter to Ice's legal office this week, explaining his case and asking whether his immigration status could be resolved through proper legal channels.
In the letter, Raghu said that his 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".
"My wife, who has always been my greatest support, is carrying the entire financial burden alone, as I am currently unable to work," reads the letter by Raghu. "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."
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