Indian-origin woman, in United States for 30 years, detained during green card interview

A 60-year-old Indian-origin woman, who has been living in the United States since 1994, was detained earlier this month by the country’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a biometric scan appointment for her pending green card application, NDTV quoted her family as saying.

Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur, a former co-owner of a restaurant named Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore in California, was taken into custody on December 1 at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services facility, The Indian Express reported.

She has no criminal record, according to the newspaper.

Her detention came amid the Donald Trump administration tightening immigration regulations and intensifying a crackdown on undocumented migrants since January 2025.

Babblejit Kaur had an approved petition for a green card from her daughter and son-in-law, who are both US citizens, her other daugther, Joti Kaur, was quoted as saying by Long Beach Watchdog.

A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows a person to stay and work permanently in the US.

The appointment on December 1 was expected to be the final administrative step in her adjustment of status to permanent residency, Joti Kaur added.

She told local media that Babblejit Kaur was at the front desk of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on December 1 when several federal agents entered the building, NDTV reported.

Joti Kaur...

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