In US since 1994, Indian-origin woman detained during Green Card interview, family seeks her release
PTC Web Desk: A 60-year-old woman of Indian origin, Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur, was taken into custody by US immigration authorities during what her family describes as the final stage of her green card process, triggering concern and outrage within the local community.
Babblejit Kaur, who has lived in the United States since 1994, was detained on December 1 while attending a biometric scan appointment linked to her pending green card application. According to her daughter, Joti, the incident took place at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, where several federal agents entered the building shortly after she arrived.
Joti said her mother was called into a room where the agents were present and was informed she was being arrested. Although Kaur was permitted to speak briefly with her attorney over the phone, she was not released and remained in federal custody.
For several hours, the family was unaware of her whereabouts. They later learned that Kaur had been transferred overnight to Adelanto, a former federal prison in California that now operates as an ICE detention facility, where she continues to be held.
Kaur reportedly has an approved green card petition filed by her elder daughter, who is a US citizen. Her husband is also a lawful permanent resident. Despite this, she was detained as her application process was nearing completion, her family said.
After migrating to the US, Kaur and her family initially lived in Laguna Beach before settling in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore area. She and her husband raised three children, Joti, 34, who has legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, and two other children who are US citizens.
For over 20 years, Kaur and her husband ran a popular Indian and Nepalese restaurant, Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal, which became a well-known fixture in the Belmont Shore neighbourhood. She also worked for nearly 25 years at a Rite Aid store in the same area, until the pharmacy chain shut down its remaining outlets earlier this year. More recently, she had been preparing to resume work in the restaurant industry.
Family members say Kaur is being held in a large dormitory-style unit at the Adelanto facility, sharing space with several other detainees. They allege that lights remain on throughout the night and constant noise makes rest difficult.
While she has been allowed limited visits with family members, the process is reportedly exhausting, often requiring hours of waiting for only a brief meeting.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach, has stepped in and called for Kaur’s release. His office confirmed that he is in touch with federal authorities as the family prepares further legal filings that could make her eligible for release on bond while her case is reviewed.
- With inputs from agencies
