60-Year-Old Indian Woman Detained at Long Beach Green Card Interview

(LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA) Federal immigration agents detained a 60-year-old Indian-origin woman during what her family says was a routine step in her long-running push for lawful status, taking her into custody inside a USCIS office as she checked in for an appointment tied to her green card case.

Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur, who her family says has lived in the United States since 1994, was arrested on December 1, 2025, at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Long Beach, California. She had appeared for a biometrics appointment connected to her pending application for permanent residence, her daughter Joti Kaur said in interviews and in an online fundraising appeal.

What happened at the USCIS office

Joti Kaur said her mother went to the front desk when “federal agents entered the building,” and staff then called her into a back room.
“She arrested her without immediate explanation,” Joti said. The family says Kaur was given a brief chance to call her attorney, then was shackled, placed into a van with other detainees, and moved overnight to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, a large immigration detention facility in the California desert that was once a federal prison.

The family says the arrest occurred during what many view as an administrative step — a check-in appointment during the Green Card interview track — not a criminal proceeding. They emphasize Kaur has no reported criminal record and that they have been trying for years to complete final steps for permanent residency.

Case status and family account

• The family says Kaur’s adjustment application, filed on Form I-485, had already been approved after sponsorship by her U.S. citizen daughter and son-in-law.
  (The Form I-485 is the application to register permanent residence or adjust status; the official USCIS page is here: Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.)
• Her husband, the family says, holds lawful permanent resident status.
• Despite those facts, Joti said her mother was taken away from the federal building in handcuffs and transported to detention.

By this week, Kaur remained held at Adelanto, according to her family, while lawyers pursued bond filings and other court motions. In a GoFundMe update, the family described “week 2 of detention with filed motions pending review,” calling the ordeal a “nightmare” and “inhumane.”

“Lights stay on overnight” and noise carries through the unit, making sleep hard, the family said. Family visits are limited and can consume an entire day for a short meeting.

The family also says they have not been told why she was detained at a government office where she believed she was complying with every requirement. No hearing timeline or release date was provided in the accounts shared by relatives.

Political response

The case has drawn attention from Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, whose district includes Long Beach. Garcia called the detention “horrific” and said he is pressing federal agencies for answers and for Kaur’s release. His office is in contact with the family as their lawyers prepare filings that could include bond requests and other motions seeking her freedom while the case is reviewed.

Why arrests at USCIS appointments happen (legal context)

Neither ICE nor USCIS provided details about this specific arrest in the family’s account, but immigration lawyers say the setting itself has become a flashpoint. Key points:

• USCIS biometrics appointments (fingerprints and photos) are required in person and are used for background checks.
• During processing, USCIS may review an applicant’s full immigration history, which can surface past issues the applicant may not know about, including:
  • An old removal order
  • A missed court date from decades earlier
  • An A-number or record error
  • Allegations of false statements on earlier applications

Advocates say on-site arrests at USCIS facilities become more common during periods of tougher enforcement, when information may be shared with enforcement arms of the government.

Advice from attorneys and advocates

Immigration attorneys commonly recommend the following steps for people with complex immigration histories:

1. Request your immigration file through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to review records USCIS or ICE may have.
2. Review any prior immigration court history before appearing for a scheduled appointment.
3. Consult a licensed immigration attorney if you have ever:
   • Been in removal proceedings
   • Missed a court date
   • Used multiple names
   • Had prior visa issues

Lawyers warn that even minor criminal issues (for example, unresolved probation violations) or allegations of fraud/misrepresentation can trigger enforcement attention. There is no one-size-fits-all answer about whether to attend an appointment, and skipping a biometrics appointment can also lead to delays or denial.

Community impact

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, arrests connected to in-person immigration processing can have a chilling effect beyond those detained. Consequences include:

• Families delaying or avoiding filings and appointments
• Increased fear in immigrant-heavy communities (like Long Beach)
• U.S. citizen relatives affected by sudden detention, travel for visits, and urgent legal bills

Family’s immediate priorities and closing account

For now, Joti Kaur says the focus is on getting her mother out of Adelanto while the legal process plays out. She describes:

• A mother who expected a quick appointment and returned to an empty bedroom
• A family consumed by paperwork, phone calls, and long drives for short visits

The family says they will keep fighting the detention in court, and they are asking elected officials and federal agencies to explain why a grandmother who believed she was nearing the end of the green card process was taken away in shackles from what she thought was the last stretch of a Green Card interview path at a government office.