Highlights:
- Meenu Batra detained by ICE in Texas on March (17)
- Alleged no food or water for 24 hours after arrest
- Claims she was photographed in handcuffs
- Held at El Valle Detention Centre in Raymondville
- Legal challenge filed, court response expected by April 21
A 53-year-old Indian-origin woman, Meenu Batra, has alleged inhumane treatment after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas. Batra, who works as a court interpreter, said she was held without food or water for 24 hours following her arrest in March and was denied medication for several days.
Batra was arrested on March 17 at Harlingen International Airport while traveling to Milwaukee for work. She remains in custody at the El Valle Detention Centre in Raymondville. According to her legal filings, she has challenged her detention through a habeas corpus petition.
In her sworn deposition, Batra said plainclothes agents stopped her after clearing airport security. She claimed the agents did not show badges and questioned her about her immigration status. When she told them she had a deportation order, she also explained that she had valid work authorization under 'withholding of removal,' which had been granted in 2000.
Batra recalled an agent telling her that this status did not mean she could remain in the United States forever. She said she complied with the officers during the encounter.
She also alleged that officers made her pose for photographs while her hands were positioned behind her back to make it appear as if she was still handcuffed. According to her account, she was told the images were intended for social media use. Batra said this experience made her feel humiliated and treated like a criminal.
During her detention, Batra said she became ill with a respiratory infection and lost her voice within a few days. She described her experience as confusing and distressing, saying she often found herself wondering why she was being held.
Batra has lived in the United States for more than 35 years. She fled anti-Sikh violence in India during the 1980s after her parents were killed. Over the years, she built a career as a court interpreter and is the only licensed interpreter in Texas for Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. She has worked in immigration courts for more than two decades.
Her legal status prevents her deportation to India but allows removal to a third country. Her attorney, Deepak Ahluwalia, said authorities have not disclosed where she might be sent.
Batra is a single mother of four children. Her family has been affected by her detention. One of her sons, who recently joined the US Army, has applied for parole on her behalf and has asked for her release.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Batra has had a final removal order from an immigration judge since 2000. The spokesperson added that she will remain in ICE custody pending removal and will receive due process under the law.
Officials also stated that employment authorization does not provide legal immigration status and encouraged individuals without status to leave the country voluntarily.
Batra’s lawyers argue that her detention violates due process and are seeking her release. A federal court is expected to hear her petition, with the government required to respond by Tuesday (21).
