Indian-origin woman restaurateur detained by ICE

According to her daughter, Joti Kaur, the appointment was expected to be the final administrative step in her adjustment of status to permanent residency. Kaur’s green card petition had already been approved through sponsorship by her US citizen daughter and son-in-law.

Speaking to local media, Joti said that after her mother entered the interview room, she was told she was under arrest. She was allowed a brief phone call to her lawyer before being taken away. “She was really scared,” Joti said, recounting that her mother was placed in a van with other detainees, with her hands and feet shackled.

For several hours, the family was unsure where Kaur had been taken, with officials giving only vague information. They later traced her through the ICE detainee locator system to Los Angeles, from where she was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville, a remote facility in California’s High Desert.

“It’s been a nightmare,” Joti said, adding that while the family has since been able to speak to Kaur by phone and visit her, the detention has taken a heavy emotional toll.

Originally from India, the family settled in California in the mid-1990s. Kaur and her husband ran the Belmont Shore restaurant for over two decades before it shut during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have three children, including two US citizens, while Joti holds legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme.

Friends and neighbouring business owners have described Kaur as a deeply rooted and generous member of the Long Beach community. No official reason has been provided by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security for her detention, despite media queries. People close to the family believe it may be linked to past immigration status issues that can arise in long-term cases.

Local Congressman Robert Garcia, whose district includes Long Beach, said he is in contact with the family and described the detention as “horrific”, calling for greater oversight of immigration enforcement practices.

Kaur’s case comes amid reports of a rise in ICE detentions at USCIS offices across the United States, including during green card interviews and biometrics appointments. Immigration lawyers say individuals with approved petitions and no criminal history are increasingly being taken into custody over old visa or status violations.

As of December 15, Kaur remains detained at Adelanto.