A Texas court interpreter has described being 'treated like a criminal' by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who allegedly 'humiliated' her during an arrest at an airport. Meenu Batra, a certified interpreter for over two decades, was taken into federal custody on March 17 while travelling from Harlingen Airport to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for work.
Arrest and detention
The 53-year-old single mother of four, fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu, recounted being questioned by an ICE officer at a TSA checkpoint. According to a sworn affidavit reviewed by ABC News, the officer asked: 'Do you know that you are here illegally?' Batra responded 'No' and explained she had been granted an order preventing her deportation to India due to fear of persecution. However, the agent reportedly replied: 'That doesn't mean you can be here forever.'
Batra was then handcuffed and escorted to an unmarked SUV by at least four officers, two of whom accompanied her inside the vehicle. She later recalled the incident while detained at the El Valle Detention Facility. Upon arrival at an ICE field office in Harlingen, Batra claimed two agents positioned themselves on either side of her and forced her to pose for a photograph intended for 'social media,' an act she described as 'humiliating' and akin to being 'treated like a criminal.'
Background and legal status
Batra's attorney, Deepak Ahluwalia, told the publication that she fled India as a teenager after her parents were killed during a violent attack against Sikhs in the 1980s. Upon arriving in the US, she applied for asylum, and in 2000 an immigration judge in New Jersey granted her withholding of removal status. This status, according to the American Immigration Council and National Immigration Justice Center, protects individuals from being returned to their home country if they face likely persecution, and allows them to work legally in America. However, it does not permit them to petition for family members or provide a path to citizenship.
Conditions in detention
Batra described appalling conditions inside the immigration centre, which she referred to as a 'storage facility for humans.' During a phone interview, she stated she went 'nearly 24 hours without food or water' and did not receive her cholesterol medication until the evening of March 19. Her daughter, Amrita Singh, aged 30, reported that her mother developed a respiratory illness due to the poor conditions.
Singh and her three brothers have had to adapt to life without their mother for the past month but remain determined to secure her release. 'When you're raised by a single parent, your biggest fear is always like, what if something happens to them? This was my biggest fear coming true,' Singh said. 'I feel like I'm not in my body and my world just stopped and it sort of lost colour. But at the same time, I am so focused and dedicated and will do anything to get her out.'
Batra's son, Jasper Jai Dolezal, noted that his mother was taken into federal custody just months after he joined the US Army. Her youngest child, aged 18, expressed uncertainty about his deployment given the situation. 'I hope to see her for my graduation and when I go to boot camp,' Dolezal said. 'But if I'm serving my army, working like a dog while my mom is being detained, even though my country swore they will help any and all immigrants, that's kind of upsetting and disappointing.'
Support from colleagues
Batra's co-workers have rallied behind her, posting a letter of support on the American Translators Association's website. The letter's summary stated: 'Meenu has spent her career bridging gaps and fostering understanding. It is our turn to advocate for her safety and her right to remain with her community.' The letter further read: 'Ms Batra is not a threat to public safety. She is not an unlawful resident. She is not a flight risk. She is a pillar of the communities she has served, a fact attested to by judges, elected officials, and the very courts across the country that have contracted her services for decades.'
Legal challenges
Despite family and colleague efforts, Batra's attorney fears she may be deported to another country. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a motion to dismiss Batra's habeas corpus petition, arguing that she has been 'lawfully detained' and is subject to a 'final order of removal.' The filing did not specify plans for deportation to a third country. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson stated that Batra is 'an illegal alien from India' arrested during a 'targeted enforcement operation,' adding that she was issued a final removal order in 2000 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal with full due process. The spokesperson emphasised: 'Employment authorization does NOT confer any type of legal status in the United States.' Batra's lawyer noted that the government 'didn't acknowledge or explain what changed in 26 years to warrant detention' and 'still has not identified a third country' for potential deportation.
