Though he was supposed to be removed from the country within a month of a Dec. 8 hearing, longtime Columbia resident Owen Ramsingh has now been detained by Immigration Control Enforcement for four months. He’s spent most of that time in Ero El Paso Camp East Montana, a U.S. detention center located in El Paso, Texas. In recent weeks, at least three detainees at the facility have died.
Ramsingh is an immigrant from the Netherlands who moved to the U.S. when he was young. In September, Ramsingh was detained at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on his way back home to Columbia. Despite having a green card, Ramsingh was detained due to a conviction for cocaine possession when he was 16.
Supporters have contacted Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) office to see if there was anything the senator could do to get Ramsingh out, as Hawley is part of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chief oversight committee. But little has changed.
“One thing's for certain is they’re not gonna tell us until he’s already in the air,” longtime friend Robert Olson said. “They’re going to notify the consulate and the embassy in the Hague in the Netherlands, and we’ve been in daily contact with them, and they'll let us know once he’s already in the air.”
The community steps in to support
Olson and Diana Ramsingh, Owen's wife, set up a Facebook group called “Bring Owen Home” to garner support for his release and to keep the community up to date. They have also set up a GoFundMe page to pay for attorney fees, with any leftover funds used to support the family’s move to the Netherlands. The page has since raised more than $28,000 for the family.
Olson made a cardboard cutout of Ramsingh, which he calls the “Como O” to take to all of the businesses that have helped support the movement.
“It's just been fun going around with him and taking pictures. And you know, it's, I've had people call and request, will you bring him here?” he said.
On January 15, Olson and Diana Ramsingh announced through a Facebook post that they are canceling fundraising efforts. The decision was made because of the stress placed on the family, and to “shift our focus from fighting to rebuilding,” as the post says.
“More so it's for his wife, Diana, and my own mental health. This has been a hell of a ride, and it’s taken its toll on all of us, and we need to focus more on what the future is going to look like,” Olson said.
While fundraising is concluding, local efforts still continue. Several local musicians are working together to create an album dedicated to Ramsingh, who was involved in Columbia’s music scene as a security guard for The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall. Tim Hanson, the producer behind the project, said the album is a way for the artists to express their frustration with the situation.
“All of these people know him. All of these people are inserting their feelings into what we’re putting together, and I think that’s really, really special,” Hanson said.
The artwork for the album will be created by Columbia local David Spear, who plans to present it at the Boone County Historical Society in April. The album is also set to be completed by April.
“My hope is by doing this, we’re helping people understand and comprehend, in a creative way, using our first amendment rights and using our abilities, the things that he loved about us, to make a statement. This isn’t the America we should be living in,” Hanson said.
Cafe Berlin is also hosting a benefit on Saturday, Jan. 31, dedicated to Ramsingh. Grace Konrad is a local concert organizer who puts together events in the community.
“I was like, ‘Man, I wish I could do something to help," Konrad said, "'Oh wait, I can do something to help. Why don’t I just see if anyone would be interested in this?'"
Konrad said events like these are important to give the community a forum to express themselves.
“I think Owen in particular really hit everybody so hard, because in Columbia, if you don’t know Owen, you know someone that knows him,” she said. “I think [events like this] are really important, especially right now, because it is hitting home for so many people.”
Ramsingh's loved ones work to move forward
Olson has been kept up-to-date on Owen Ramsingh’s condition, speaking with him and his family regularly. He’s learned about the conditions of the detention center and is worried how it may be affecting his best friend.
“We're really concerned about Owen's mental health right now. You know he's struggling. He doesn't understand why he's still in there,” Olson said.
Hanson has known Ramsingh for a long time, and said he has always been impressed by his kindness. He said situations like this have been seen across the country.
“It’s disgusting, it’s embarrassing, and it’s un-American,” he said.
For now, the Ramsingh’s family is preparing for their move to the Netherlands. Olson said the next steps are for Ramsingh to share his story once he is officially deported.
“We've really been waiting for Owen to get out and get in front of the media, so he can tell his story and really open up and talk about the conditions and the treatment of the detainees in the facilities,” he said.
