Indian-origin Meenu Batra, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for being an undocumented individual living in the United States since 1991, is still not in the clear after her release from six weeks of ICE detention, her attorney Deepak Ahluwalia said in an interview.
The release was a victory, and now she cannot be detained again without notice. However, they are now pushing for a military parole for her, as her son serves in the U.S. Army, so that Batra can obtain a Green Card.
Attorney Criticizes Detention as Unnecessary
Ahluwalia stated that the detention was absolutely unnecessary, as Batra had been living in the U.S. for 35 years, paying taxes, and working as a legal interpreter for courts. She was never contacted by ICE or given any warning but was cornered by ICE agents during a work trip, as if she were a cartel member.
Batra could not be deported to India due to an earlier court order, and the administration was planning to send her to a third country. Ahluwalia noted that no specific third country was mentioned during the six weeks of detention, indicating a lack of a concrete plan.
Allegations of Quota System and Profit Motive
Ahluwalia alleged that ICE arrested Batra first without knowing what to do next. He added that ICE has been pushing to increase the number of arrests to fulfill a quota. He further claimed that putting people in detention centers brings profit to corporations operating these facilities, explaining what he described as a complex system built on a gross miscarriage of justice.
Path to Green Card via Military Parole
Ahluwalia explained that Meenu Batra is eligible for military parole as a family member of an Army soldier. If they can secure that, they will file for a Green Card for her.
Speaking about his conversation with Batra after her release, Ahluwalia said she considered herself emotionally strong, having fled the Sikh genocide in India, but this ICE arrest shook her to the core.
Racism Factor Alleged
Ahluwalia said Batra's detention also involved a racism factor, intended to instill fear in other immigrants.
Meenu Batra came to the U.S. in 1991 after her parents were killed in Punjab. She did not enter the country legally, but in 2000, she obtained a legal status known as 'suspension of removal' that prevented her from being sent back to India for fear of persecution.
