Meenu Batra, a 53-year-old Indian-origin woman who has lived in the United States for over three decades, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Texas, raising concerns over due process and immigration enforcement practices.
According to a report by the Texas Observer, Batra is the only licensed Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu legal interpreter in Texas and has long assisted South Asian immigrants navigating the US immigration court system.
She was detained on March 17 at Harlingen International Airport while heading to Wisconsin for a legal assignment. ICE agents reportedly questioned her about a deportation order and alleged that she was living in the country illegally.
In her statement, Batra said the officers who detained her were not in uniform and did not display visible badges.
When asked if she knew she was in the country illegally, she responded that she held valid work authorization, renewed periodically after being granted “withholding of removal” status by a New Jersey immigration judge decades ago.
An agent reportedly told her, “That doesn’t mean you can be here forever.”
Batra said she complied with the agents’ instructions, fearing that any resistance could be interpreted as an attempt to evade arrest.
Her attorney, Deepak Ahluwalia, has filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention.
After being handcuffed, Batra was taken to an ICE field office in Harlingen, where she was previously known due to her work as an interpreter. She was then moved between holding facilities, including the El Valle Detention Center near Raymondville.
According to the report, Batra spent nearly 24 hours in custody without food or water. As of mid-April, she remains detained and is reportedly not receiving consistent medical care following surgeries she underwent in December.
Her attorneys said the US government had not informed her of any imminent deportation plans. One of her children, who recently enlisted in the US military, has filed a parole application on her behalf.
Legal representatives have also sought a temporary restraining order to prevent her transfer to another detention facility.
However, the Department of Homeland Security stated that Batra has had a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in 2000 and will remain in ICE custody pending deportation.
Ahluwalia criticised the handling of the case, alleging that authorities are detaining individuals without proper notice and bypassing legal procedures.
“This is a clear violation of our laws and our client’s rights, and we will continue to fight for her release,” he said.
