(Image source from: Gofundme)
A woman of Indian descent, aged 60, was taken into custody in the United States by immigration officials during her most recent green card interview. Babblejit "Bubbly" Kaur, who has lived in the US since 1994, was detained by federal agents while she was at an appointment for a biometric scan related to her ongoing green card situation, as shared by her daughter Joti. Kaur’s green card petition has been endorsed by her daughter, who is a US citizen, and by her husband, who holds a green card, according to Long Beach Watchdog. Joti informed the publication that on December 1, her mother was at the reception area of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office when several federal agents entered. Kaur was then called into the room with those agents and was notified that she was being taken into custody.
Kaur was given the chance to call her lawyer, yet she remained detained, stated her daughter. For many hours, the family had no idea where Kaur had been taken. They discovered later that she was moved overnight to Adelanto, which was once a federal prison but now serves as an ICE detention center, where she is currently kept. After her family immigrated to the US, they initially moved to Laguna Beach and later relocated to Long Beach when job opportunities arose in the Belmont Shore area. Kaur and her spouse have three children: 34-year-old Joti, who has status in the US under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), along with her older brother and sister, both of whom are US citizens. For over 20 years, Kaur and her husband ran a restaurant called Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, becoming a "beloved part of the Long Beach community," as the report mentioned. She also worked for about 25 years at the Rite Aid pharmacy in Belmont Shore until the chain shut down its last stores earlier this year. More recently, she had been getting ready to return to work in the restaurant business at Royal Indian Curry House.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, representing Long Beach, has urged for Kaur's release. His office stated that he has been in touch with federal agencies concerning the matter while her family is preparing further legal documents that might enable Kaur to be released on bail as her case moves forward. As reported by her family, Kaur is being held in a large shared room at Adelanto with many other detainees. The lights in her space are kept on all night, and there is constant noise, which makes it hard for her to sleep, her family told IndiaWest. Kaur has been allowed to see family during limited visiting hours, but the process often requires waiting a whole day to have a short visit. "It's a nightmare... We are doing everything possible to get her out. She doesn’t belong there. It’s very cruel," Joti expressed.
