An immigrant was deported because of a bottle of perfume that was found on him.

Kapil Raghu, 28, was arrested after a police officer in central Arkansas, while conducting a routine check, noticed a roll-on perfume bottle in his car, reports NBC News.

An Indian immigrant working as a courier was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after officers mistook a bottle of perfume labeled "Opium" for the drug of the same name. He is now fighting to remain in the United States and demanding the case be dismissed.

Barred from working and facing deportation, 28-year-old Raghu, who is married to a U.S. citizen, sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requesting that his case be dismissed. He hopes the agency will consider the circumstances of his detention.

On the subject: Woman actively supported mass deportations, then her husband, a green card holder, was arrested

Raghu was arrested in May by a Benton police officer who noticed a bottle of perfume in his car during a search. At the time, his visa had already expired. According to Raghu, he tried to renew his status and hired an immigration lawyer, but the lawyer failed to submit the documents on time. After his arrest, police discovered he did not have a valid visa and turned him over to the Immigration Service.

He spent nearly a month in custody and was released after charges were dropped, but deportation proceedings are still underway against him.

"I'm desperate," Raghu told NBC News. "I can't work and provide for my family."

In his letter, Raghu, who has a stepdaughter, detailed the serious legal and financial difficulties his family faced due to the perfume bottle misunderstanding. He noted that dismissing the deportation case would allow him to legalize his status through legal procedures.

"This situation has shaken me and my family, but it has also strengthened my resolve to move forward," he wrote. "All I ask is the opportunity to continue this journey without further challenges."

About five months ago, Raghu says he completed a delivery when he was stopped by a police officer. According to the report, the stop was because the plastic cover on his license plate obscured some of the information, which is illegal in Arkansas. The officer asked permission to search the car, and Raghu agreed.

"I agreed because it's scary when you see police lights flashing," he explained. "It's scary to see all those blue lights all around you when you haven't done anything."

When Raghu got out of the car, the police officer noticed a bottle of perfume. He said he usually keeps small bottles in the car to mask the smell of tobacco, and he bought this one at a gas station.

The immigrant was handcuffed and taken to the Saline County Jail, charged with possession of a controlled substance. The vial was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for testing.

"I kept repeating that they were spirits," Raghu claimed, claiming he was handcuffed without even being told why. "They didn't listen to me. They just ignored me."

Civil rights attorney Michael Law, representing Raghu, noted that the scent, a counterfeit of the Yves Saint Laurent perfume of the same name, was easily recognizable as perfume and expressed the opinion that the officer intentionally wanted to make an arrest.

Benton police said the officer believed the contents of the vial were a controlled substance "based on the totality of the circumstances known to him."

Police declined to comment on the officer's actions during the arrest, Raghu's immigration status, his application to the Immigration Service, or other details of the case.

"Once it was determined that the substance was not an illegal drug, the charges were dropped," the statement said. "An internal investigation into this incident is currently underway."

According to Raghu's lawyers, his immigration history complicated the situation. He arrived in the United States on a B-2 tourist visa in May 2024, but it expired later that year. As explained by Little Rock attorney Javier Contreras, who was hired while Raghu was in custody, he remained in the country because he was dating his future wife, Ashley Mace. They married in April.

Raghu claims his previous lawyer failed to file the paperwork on time, causing him to lose his legal status and face detention and deportation.

"Every time I called, they told me, 'It's okay because you're married to a US citizen,'" he emphasized.

After being arrested for an expired visa, Raghu was transferred from the county jail to the Immigration Services detention center at Winn Correctional Institution in Louisiana. After a crime lab test confirmed the absence of drugs, he was released on bail in early June.

Contreras' attorney explained that Raghu could previously have applied for both a work permit and immigration status simultaneously, but due to the ongoing deportation process, he is now unable to obtain a work permit until his family visa petition is approved. This process could take several years.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New Y

According to his wife, the family is currently going through an extremely difficult time.

"He can't work, so I'm working three jobs to keep our house and pay off our debts," Mace complained.

Due to her busy schedule, she has critically little time to spend with her family.

"It's really hard," she admitted. "My daughter helps me with Walmart deliveries—it's our time together now."

The family has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal fees and basic expenses during this difficult time. Despite everything, they hope the case will be resolved.

Read also on ForumDaily:

In 2025, a record low number of migrants crossed the US southern border illegally.

Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to states that resist deportations

An ICE office in Dallas was shot at, injuring detained migrants and killing one person.

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.