Indian-origin restaurateur, living in US since 1994, detained by ICE
What's the story
Babblejit "Bubbly" Kaur, a 60-year-old Indian-origin woman and prominent member of the Long Beach restaurant community, was detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on December 1. The incident took place during what her family believed to be a routine biometrics appointment for her pending green card application. But her daughter said that when her mother was at the front desk of ICE office, several federal agents entered the building and told her she was being arrested.
Community response
Kaur's family and community left in shock
The arrest of Kaur, a former co-owner of Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal in Belmont Shore, has left her family and the community shocked. According to IE, the family relocated to California in the mid-1990s. Kaur and her husband owned the Belmont Shore restaurant for over 20 years till it closed during the COVID-19 outbreak. They have three children, two of whom are US citizens, and Joti has legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Family ordeal
Kaur's daughter recounts mother's terrifying experience
Joti said the appointment was supposed to be the last administrative step for her mother's adjustment of status to permanent residency. She recounted that after entering the interview room, her mother was told she was under arrest. She was allowed a brief phone call with her lawyer before being taken away. "She was really scared," Joti said, adding that her mother was put in a van with other detainees, with her hands and feet shackled.
Legal implications
Kaur's detention raises concerns over immigration enforcement practices
Kaur's family was initially left in the dark about her whereabouts until they located her through the ICE detainee locator system. She was later moved to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville, California. The local Congressman Robert Garcia has called for more oversight of immigration enforcement practices, describing Kaur's detention as "horrific."
National trend
Kaur's detention part of rising trend in ICE detentions
Kaur's case comes amid reports of increased ICE detentions at USCIS offices across the United States, including during green card interviews and biometrics appointments. Immigration lawyers say people with approved petitions and no criminal history are increasingly being detained over old visa or status violations. As of December 15, Kaur remains detained at Adelanto. She has lived in the United States since 1994 without any criminal record.