Meenu Batra, a certified court interpreter fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu who has lived in the U.S. since fleeing India about 35 years ago after her parents were killed in religious violence connected to their Sikh faith, was detained by ICE agents on March 17, 2026, at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas while traveling for a court assignment in Milwaukee. An immigration judge had granted her withholding of removal status in 2000, and she has held valid work authorization for years, working in immigration courts for over two decades. Batra is a single mother of four U.S. citizen children, including her youngest son Jasper, who joined the U.S. Army shortly before her arrest. She was held for 45 days at El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, where she alleged she was denied food, water, and medication. On April 30, 2026, federal judge Rolando Olvera issued a temporary restraining order for her release, finding the government lacked proper justification and had violated due process protections. Her attorney noted she has had only one speeding ticket in 30 years. Since her release, Batra has described feeling dehumanized by her detention and fears being re-arrested.