'Humiliated' longtime Texas court interpreter detained by ICE says she's been 'treated like a criminal' by agents who snatched her at airport

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:15, 23 April 2026 | Updated: 22:17, 23 April 2026 A Texas court interpreter said she was 'treated like a criminal' by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who 'humiliated' her when they dragged her into custody at the airport.  Meenu Batra, who's been a certified court interpreter for more than 20 years, was arrested by federal agents on March 17 while traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from the Harlingen Airport for work.  The single mother of four is fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu, and is frequently requested across the country for her language skills.  Batra, 53, said she was questioned by an ICE officer at a TSA checkpoint, who asked: 'Do you know that you are here illegally?,' according to her sworn affidavit reviewed by ABC News.  She responded 'No' to the agent and explained that she has been granted an order that prevents her from being deported back to her home country of India due to fear of prosecution, Batra told the outlet. According to Batra her response didn't appear to matter to the male agent, who replied: 'That doesn't mean you can be here forever.'  She was then handcuffed and escorted to an unmarked SUV by at least four officers, two of whom got in the car with her, Batra recalled while locked inside the El Valle Detention Facility. Batra then arrived at an ICE field office in Harlingen, where she claims two agents got on either side of her and made her pose for a photo for 'social media', which left her feeling 'humiliated and treated like a criminal,' she said.  Meenu Batra, a veteran court interpreter in Texas, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 17 at the Harlingen Airport The mother of four claims two agents got on either side of her and made her pose for a photo for 'social media', which she said left her feeling 'humiliated and treated like a criminal' Deepak Ahluwalia, Batra's attorney, told the publication that she fled from India to the US when she was a teenager after her parents were killed during a violent attack against Sikhs in the 1980s.  When she arrived in the US, the veteran court interpreter applied for asylum, and in 2000 an immigration judge in New Jersey granted her withholding of removal status.  Batra (pictured) said she's experienced appalling conditions inside the immigration center, which she referred to as a 'storage facility for humans'  The status is granted to those who can prove it is more likely they will face persecution in their home country, and means they are 'protected from being returned to his or her home country' and can legally work in America, according to the American Immigration Council and National Immigration Justice Center.  Someone who is granted the status 'cannot petition to bring family members to the United States, and does not gain a path to citizenship,' per the organization.  Batra said she has experienced appalling conditions while inside the immigration center, which she referred to as a 'storage facility for humans.'  During a phone interview with the outlet, Batra said she went 'nearly 24 hours without food or water', and that she did not get her cholesterol medication until the 'evening of March 19.'  Amrita Singh, Batra's daughter, said her mother has gone on to develop a respiratory illness while inside the facility because of the alleged bad conditions.  Singh, 30, and her three brothers have had to learn how to live without her for the past month, but they continue to fight for her release and safe return home.  Deepak Ahluwalia, Batra's attorney, told the publication that she fled from India to the US when she was a teenager after her parents were killed during a violent attack against Sikhs 'When you're raised by a single parent, your biggest fear is always like, what if something happens to them? This was my biggest fear coming true,' Singh stated.  'I feel like I'm not in my body and my world just stopped and it sort of lost color. But at the same time, I am so focused and dedicated and will do anything to get her out.'  Jasper Jai Dolezal, Batra's son, said his mother was taken into federal custody just months after he joined the US Army.  Her youngest child, 18, is not sure how to feel about his deployment now that his mother has been snatched away.  'I hope to see her for my graduation and when I go to boot camp,' Dolezal said.   'But if I'm serving my army, working like a dog while my mom is being detained, even though my country swore they will help any and all immigrants, that's kind of upsetting and disappointing.'  Batra's co-workers have also been pushing for her to be released, as they posted a letter of support for her on the American Translators Association's website.  Amrita Singh (left), 30, said she and her three brothers have had to learn how to live without their mom for the past month, but they continue to fight for her release and safe return home 'Meenu has spent her career bridging gaps and fostering understanding. It is our turn to advocate for her safety and her right to remain with her community,' the letter's summary read. The letter itself stated: Ms Batra is not a threat to public safety. She is not an unlawful resident. She is not a flight risk.  'She is a pillar of the communities she has served, a fact attested to by judges, elected officials, and the very courts across the country that have contracted her services for decades.' Although her family and colleagues continue to fight for her freedom, her attorney said they fear she might be deported to another country, he told ABC News.  The Department of Justice (DOJ) has gone on to file a motion to dismiss Batra's habeas corpus petition, a legal action to challenge unlawful detention, the outlet reported.  The DOJ has argued that Batra has been 'lawfully detained' and is the subject of a 'final order of removal'. The filing did not specify if the government plans on sending her to a third country.  The DOJ has argued that Batra has been 'lawfully detained' and is the subject of a 'final order of removal' A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the Daily Mail that Batra is 'an illegal alien from India' who was arrested 'during a targeted enforcement operation.'  They added: 'Meenu was issued a final order of removal from an immigration judge in 2000. She first entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal and will receive full due process. 'Employment authorization does NOT confer any type of legal status in the United States,' the federal agency continued.  Her lawyer also noted that the government 'didn't acknowledge or explain what changed in 26 years to warrant detention,' and 'still has not identified a third country' that she could be deported to.  No comments have so far been submitted. 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