Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur is not a threat. She is a 60 year old grandmother, longtime small business owner, and a beloved member of the Long Beach community. Yet on December 1, she was detained by ICE while attending a routine appointment for her pending green card application. What was supposed to be the final step toward permanent residency turned into a nightmare.

Bubbly has lived in the United States since 1994. For more than two decades, she and her husband operated a restaurant in Belmont Shore, welcoming neighbors, feeding families, and helping build the character of the community. She later worked for 25 years at a local pharmacy. She has no criminal record. Her children are U.S. citizens or have legal status. She did everything she was asked to do.

Still, she was arrested without warning, shackled, and transported to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Her family was left terrified, unable to locate her for hours. Now she is held in a former prison where lights stay on all night, sleep is scarce, and cries echo through crowded rooms. Phone access is limited. Visits require all day waiting for a single hour together.

This is not humane. This is not justice.

Detaining people like Bubbly undermines trust in the immigration system and punishes those who are trying to follow the law. No one should fear arrest for showing up to a government appointment in good faith. This practice traumatizes families and sends a chilling message to immigrant communities everywhere.

We are calling on the Department of Homeland Security, ICE leadership, and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center to immediately release Bubbly Kaur and allow her to continue her immigration process from home. We also urge them to end the practice of detaining people with no criminal history who are actively pursuing legal status.

Bubbly belongs with her family, not behind bars. Please sign to demand her release and stand up for basic human dignity.

Photo: LB Watchdog Courtesy of the Kaur family.