The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that Alexandre Ramagem, former federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro, is in removal proceedings after overstaying his authorised period of stay. DHS spokespeople told Brazilian media on 22 October that Ramagem entered the United States legally on 11 September 2025 but failed to depart when his six-month admission expired in March 2026. Ramagem was briefly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 13 April 2026 and released two days later pending a hearing before an immigration judge. The deportation case is separate from Brazil’s December 2025 extradition request related to his conviction for participating in an attempted coup. Under U.S. law, removal based on visa overstay can proceed regardless of parallel extradition claims unless the State Department intervenes. For Brazilians residing or doing business in the United States, the high-profile case underscores DHS’s readiness to enforce overstay violations even for politically sensitive figures. Brazilian companies rotating executives under B-1/B-2 or ESTA status should verify that departure dates are adhered to and maintain clear records to avoid similar enforcement action. If Ramagem is ordered removed, he faces a re-entry bar of up to ten years under INA §212(a)(9)(B). Brazil’s Ministry of Justice may still pursue extradition should the former deputy attempt to relocate to a third country after deportation. The case also highlights the growing coordination between Brasília and Washington on high-level fugitives, following the bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and recent joint task-force work on financial crimes.
Source: Topic News
