Kamal Ghorui
A US lawmaker criticised the detention of Indian-origin court interpreter Meenu Batra, who was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite living in the United States for around 35 years and working in the legal system.53-year-old Meenu Batra is described as the only licensed Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu court interpreter in Texas. She has spent decades in the US, raising her children and working within the immigration court system to help South Asian migrants deal with legal proceedings.Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro weighed in on her case on X while also condemning Trump’s mass deportation initiative: “Meenu Batra is the only Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu court interpreter in Texas. She had spent most of her life in Texas, working and raising her kids. ICE detained her despite having humanitarian protection. Trump’s mass deportation campaign isn’t going after the worst of the worst. It’s targeting contributing members of our communities and breaking apart families.”British journalist Mehdi Hasan also reshared the post. Batra was detained on March 17 at Harlingen International Airport in Texas while travelling for work. She was on her way to Wisconsin for a court-related assignment when ICE agents stopped her after she passed through security.She told the Texas Observer that the agents were not in uniform and did not display visible badges. One officer allegedly questioned her status, asking if she knew she had a deportation order and whether she was in the country illegally.“I read enough news and so I complied to their orders,” Batra said, explaining she chose not to resist during the arrest.Her legal team said she had been granted “withholding of removal” by an immigration judge decades earlier, along with work authorisation that had been regularly renewed. However, officials reportedly told her, “That doesn’t mean you can be here forever.”After being detained, she was taken to ICE facilities in Texas, where she was held in custody. She was moved between detention centres and held for around 24 hours without food or water. She also developed illness during detention and has been receiving limited medical care following a recent surgery.Batra’s attorneys argue she should not have been detained without proper notice and say she has lived in the US lawfully under protected status. They have filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention and seeking her release.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that she has a final deportation order issued in 2000 and will remain in custody pending removal. Officials also clarified that work authorisation does not equal legal immigration status.
