60-year-old Indian woman, residing in US for 30 years, detained during final green card appointment

Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur was taken into custody on December 1 during a biometric scan appointment linked to her pending green card application, Long Beach Watchdog reported.

Her daughter Joti said Kaur was at the front desk of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office when several federal agents entered the building.

She was subsequently called into a room and informed that she was under arrest.

Kaur has an approved green card petition filed by her US citizen daughter and her husband, who is a lawful permanent resident, Long Beach Watchdog reported.

Despite being allowed a brief phone call with her attorney, she was detained and transferred overnight to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, a former federal prison in California.

For several hours after her arrest, the family was unaware of her whereabouts. They later learned she had been moved to Adelanto, where she remains in custody.

Kaur migrated to the US in 1994 and initially lived in Laguna Beach before settling in Long Beach.

She and her husband raised three children—two of whom are US citizens, while Joti holds legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.

For more than 20 years, Kaur and her husband ran Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal on Belmont Shore’s 2nd Street, becoming well known in the local community.

She also worked for nearly 25 years at a Belmont Shore Rite Aid until the store shut earlier this year and was preparing to return to restaurant work.

Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach, has called for Kaur’s release and said his office is in contact with federal authorities.

The family is pursuing legal options to secure her release on bond as the case proceeds.

According to relatives, Kaur is being held in a crowded dorm-style facility where lights remain on throughout the night, making rest difficult. While she has been allowed limited family visits, these reportedly involve long waits for short meetings.

“It’s been a nightmare,” Joti said. “She doesn’t belong there. It’s inhumane.”