Indian-American Meenu Batra is released after months in ICE custody; has lived in the United States for 35 years
Meenu Batra, 53, known for interpreting Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu in Texas immigration courts, had been in jail since mid-March and was released on April 30.She was released after a federal judge questioned the legality of her detention, saying there were no clear grounds or due procedural safeguards for her detention. The judge noted that she was “not afforded any procedural protection” before being detained and ordered her release while banning her from being detained in the future without proper notice.On March 17, Batra was intercepted by ICE agents at Texas Valley International Airport while traveling to Milwaukee on a mission and was subsequently arrested. While in custody, she is being held at the Elval Detention Facility in Raymondville.In a telephone interview from detention, she described the experience as harrowing and said she felt “humiliated and treated like a criminal.”Her attorney, Deepak Ahluwalia, said she was paroled shortly before a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to release her. He argued the government failed to explain why she was detained after decades of living and working in the United States.“Today’s order from the federal district court confirms what we have said from the beginning: The government cannot detain people and then justify it later,” Ahluwalia said.He added: “The court has now ordered her release and made clear that due process is not optional. If the government seeks to deprive someone of their liberty, it must provide notice and a fair opportunity to be heard.”Batra has lived in the United States for about 35 years and is the mother of four adult children who are U.S. citizens. She has been a certified court interpreter for over twenty years and is considered the only licensed Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu interpreter in the state of Texas.U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro criticized her detention, saying: “Minu Batra is the only Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu court interpreter in Texas. She has spent most of her life in Texas, working and raising children. Despite humanitarian protections, ICE detained her. Trump’s mass deportations are not targeting the worst of the worst. It is targeting contributing members of our communities and tearing apart families.”“According to U.S. immigration authorities, Batra received a final order of deportation in 2000. Officials insist she first entered the United States without legal permission and say a work permit does not equate to legal immigration status.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said she was detained during a targeted enforcement operation and insisted it would continue to pursue deportation cases involving people with deportation orders.However, Batra’s legal team argued that she had been living under “Deferred Action” protections, which prevent deportation to countries where individuals may face harm and allow them to stay and work in the United States without a path to citizenship.
