Indian Woman, 60, In US For 30 Years, Detained During Green Card Interview

A 60-year-old Indian origin woman was detained in the United States by immigration officers during the last round of her green card interview. Babblejit "Bubbly" Kaur, who has been living in the US since 1994, was detained by federal agents during a biometric scan appointment for her pending green card application, according to her daughter Joti.

Kaur has an approved green card petition from her other daughter, a US citizen, and her husband, who has a green card, Long Beach Watchdog reported. 

Joti told the publication that her mother was at the front desk of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office on December 1, when several federal agents entered the building. Kaur was then called into the room where the federal agents went, and she was told that she was being arrested. 

ALSO READ: 'Pins On Map': How Chicago Students Are Tracking Immigration Raids

Kaur was granted a phone call with her attorney, but she was still detained, her daughter said. 

For several hours, the family was not informed where Kaur was taken. They later learnt she was transferred overnight to Adelanto, a former federal prison now used as an ICE detention centre, and is detained there.

About Bubbly Kaur

After Kaur's family migrated to the US, they first settled in Laguna Beach before moving to Long Beach when work brought them to the Belmont Shore area. Kaur and her husband have three children: 34-year-old Joti, who has legal status in the US under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and her older brother and sister, who are both US citizens.

ALSO READ: US Tightens Immigration Rules, Bars Old Photos To Curb Identity Fraud

For more than two decades, Kaur and her husband operated an eatery, Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal, on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, becoming "a cherished part of the Long Beach community," the report said. 

She also worked for about 25 years at the Belmont Shore Rite Aid until the pharmacy chain closed its remaining locations earlier this year. More recently, she had been preparing to return to restaurant work at Royal Indian Curry House.

ALSO READ: Trump Diverted Billions In Military Funds To Support Immigration: Report

Calls To Release Bubbly Kaur

Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach, has called for Kaur's release. His office said he has been in contact with federal authorities over the issue, as her family prepares additional legal filings that could allow Kaur to be released on bond as her case proceeds.

According to her family, Kaur has been held in a large dorm-style room at Adelanto, with dozens of other detainees. Lights in her room remain on overnight, and noise is constant, making sleep difficult, her family told IndiaWest.

ALSO READ: "I'm Not Ready": Immigration Crackdown Forces Teens To Take Up Responsibility As Parents Get Detained

Kaur has been allowed to meet family members during restricted visiting hours, though the process reportedly often required waiting an entire day for a brief visit. 

“It's been a nightmare... We're trying anything and everything to get her out. She doesn't belong there. It's so inhumane, " Joti said.