Indian-origin court interpreter Meenu Batra, who has been living in America for nearly 35 years, has been released from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His legal detention lasted for weeks.
Meenu Batra, 53, is known for translating Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu in Texas immigration courts. He was released on 30 April after being detained since mid-March.
Judge raised questions regarding Meenu Batra’s custody
The judge questioned the legality of his detention, saying he was detained without any apparent justification or proper procedural safeguards. The judge said he was “not given any procedural protection” before being detained and barred him from being detained in the future without proper notice, while ordering his release.
When was he taken into custody?
Batra was arrested on 17 March. ICE agents stopped him at Valley International Airport in Texas. She was traveling for work in Milwaukee. During his detention he was held at the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville.
In a phone interview while in custody, he described the experience as extremely distressing, saying he “felt humiliated and treated like a criminal.” His lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, reported that he had been granted parole shortly before a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order for his release.
Batra has been living in the US for almost 35 years and is the mother of four children, who are US citizens. She has worked as a certified court interpreter for over two decades and is believed to be the only licensed Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu interpreter in Texas.
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