ICE Detains Texas Court Interpreter Meenu Batra at Harlingen Airport

Meenu Batra, a 53-year-old court interpreter described as the only licensed Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu interpreter in Texas, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 17 at Harlingen International Airport in Texas while traveling for work.

“In Texas, activist groups are demanding the release of a long-standing court interpreter, the only one in the state licensed to interpret in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu, who was detained in March by the Immigration Service”

Democracy Now!

The Times of India reported that Batra was held despite living in the United States for around 35 years and working within the immigration court system, and it quoted Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro saying, “Meenu Batra is the only Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu court interpreter in Texas. She had spent most of her life in Texas, working and raising her kids. ICE detained her despite having humanitarian protection.”

Democracy Now!

Her arrest occurred after she passed through security and, as The Times of India put it, ICE agents stopped her “after she passed through security” while she was on her way to Wisconsin for a court-related assignment.

EL PAÍS reported that the arrest happened at Harlingen airport as she was heading to work, after she passed security to take a flight to Milwaukee where she was scheduled to participate in a case.

EL PAÍS also said that, according to CBS News, the agents told her she was in the country illegally, and it quoted Batra responding, “I'm here, I'm legal and they won't deport me, so I have nothing to worry about,” adding, “And I can live and work. It's all I wanted to do.”

After the detention, Batra was taken to ICE facilities in Texas, and The Times of India said she was moved between detention centres and held for around 24 hours without food or water.

Her legal team filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention and seeking her release, while the Department of Homeland Security said she has “a final deportation order issued in 2000” and would remain in custody pending removal, according to The Times of India.

Batra’s case centers on what her supporters describe as long-standing protection and what U.S. officials describe as a final removal order.

The Times of India said her legal team argued she had been granted “withholding of removal” by an immigration judge decades earlier, along with work authorisation that had been regularly renewed, and it reported that officials told her, “That doesn’t mean you can be here forever.”

EL PAÍS

Her attorneys also argued she should not have been detained without proper notice and said she has lived in the U.S. lawfully under protected status, while the Department of Homeland Security clarified that “work authorisation does not equal legal immigration status,” according to The Times of India.

EL PAÍS described the status as “Suspension of Removal,” saying a judge granted it in 2000, which allowed her to live and work though without access to permanent residency.

Her Spanish-language account in Heraldo USA added that a judge granted her “una ‘suspensión de expulsión’ a la India” in 2000, concluding she would likely suffer persecution there, and it said this protección humanitaria “impide al gobierno enviarla a la India a menos que reabra su caso de inmigración.”

Even so, Heraldo USA reported that her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, said there is “la posibilidad de que sea deportada a un ‘país tercero’.”

Democracy Now! similarly described activists’ fears that she could be deported to a country with which she has no ties under the “third-country” agreements pushed by Trump.

Batra’s accounts of her detention describe conditions she and her supporters characterize as inhumane and humiliating, including delays in basic needs and medical care.

“Una ciudadana de Texas, residente de Estados Unidos hace más de 35 años, habló públicamente de su detención por el ICE”

Heraldo USA

Heraldo USA said Batra was “esposada y trasladada al centro de detención El Valle en Raymondville,” where she denounced “maltratos y amenazas de deportación.”

It reported that she claimed she was detained “sin comida ni agua durante 24 horas” and that she was denied the medication she takes for her cholesterol for several days.

In a statement filed as part of a habeas corpus petition, Heraldo USA quoted Batra saying, “La gente simplemente desaparece,” and it added her explanation, “Y sé que quieren hacerme desaparecer. No sé a dónde quieren enviarme.”

Heraldo USA also reported that Batra alleged that after her arrest, agents made her pose for photos with her hands behind her back to give the impression she was still handcuffed, and it quoted her saying, “Esto me hizo sentir humillada y tratada como a una criminal.”

EL PAÍS described the detention environment as one of constant uncertainty, quoting Batra saying, “Every day it's hard to sleep because, when you lie down, you're afraid you won't know where you'll wake up.”

The Times of India reported that after being detained, Batra was held for around 24 hours without food or water and that she developed illness during detention and has been receiving limited medical care following a recent surgery.

The detention has drawn public pressure from U.S. lawmakers and migrant-rights advocates, alongside legal challenges from Batra’s attorneys.

The Times of India quoted Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro condemning the detention and linking it to what he described as Trump’s “mass deportation campaign,” saying, “Trump’s mass deportation campaign isn’t going after the worst of the worst. It’s targeting contributing members of our communities and breaking apart families.”

The Times of India

The Times of India also said British journalist Mehdi Hasan reshared the post, while it described Batra’s legal team arguing she had humanitarian protection and had been granted withholding of removal by an immigration judge.

EL PAÍS quoted Batra’s attorney Deepak Ahluwalia questioning the treatment she received, saying, “This is someone who maybe has received a speeding ticket in the last 30 years and is treated as if she were a dangerous criminal.”

EL PAÍS also quoted Edna Yang, director of American Gateways, saying detentions “do not focus on criminals, nor on dangerous people, but on individuals who are part of our community and who have a lot to offer.”

Heraldo USA quoted Batra’s own statements about fear and uncertainty, including, “No sé cómo decirlo de otra manera. Aquí estoy, mirando la pared preguntándome qué hago exactamente aquí, pero también qué hace alguien para entrar aquí,” and it included her description that she was treated “como una criminal.”

Democracy Now! reported that activists demand her release and said her lawyers fear she could be deported under “third-country” agreements pushed by Trump.

Different outlets present competing narratives about why Batra was detained and what her status means, while all accounts converge on an ongoing legal fight.

“In Texas, activist groups are demanding the release of a long-standing court interpreter, the only one in the state licensed to interpret in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu, who was detained in March by the Immigration Service”

Democracy Now!

The Times of India reported that the Department of Homeland Security said Batra has “a final deportation order issued in 2000” and will remain in custody pending removal, and it said officials clarified that “work authorisation does not equal legal immigration status.”

Democracy Now!

EL PAÍS similarly reported that a spokesperson told The Texas Observer that Batra has “a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in 2000” and that “the employment authorization does not confer any legal status.”

By contrast, Batra’s account and her supporters emphasize her long-term legal work and humanitarian protection: EL PAÍS said she had “Suspension of Removal” granted in 2000, and it quoted her telling CBS, “I'm here, I'm legal and they won't deport me, so I have nothing to worry about.”

Heraldo USA emphasized that her protection “impide al gobierno enviarla a la India a menos que reabra su caso de inmigración,” while also raising the possibility of a “país tercero.”

The Times of India reported that Batra’s attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention and seeking her release, and it said she was held for around 24 hours without food or water and later received limited medical care following a recent surgery.

As the legal defense progresses, the sources leave Batra’s future uncertain, with DHS saying she will remain in custody pending removal while her attorneys seek release through habeas corpus.