Meenu Batra has been released May 1, 2026
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in ATA, Random musings.add a comment
Courtroom interpreter Meenu Batr has been released from ICE custody. She should never have been detained in the first place, but at least she has been released. Thanks to everyone who rallied around her and demanded her release.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/courtroom-interpreter-mother-released-ice-custody-meenu-batra/
ATA supports its members April 17, 2026
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in ATA.add a comment
One of our ATA members, a long time immigration court interpreter, was detained by ICE.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/courtroom-interpreter-detained-by-ice-meenu-batra/
According to the article, Meenu Batra, a single mother of four adult U.S. citizens, was arrested March 17 by federal immigration officers at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, while on her way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on a work trip. Batra was born in India and fled to the U.S. roughly 35 years ago. Batra has been a certified court interpreter for Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu for more than 20 years. Batra said her understanding of her immigration status (an immigration status known as “withholding of removal”) was that she was in the U.S. legally.
ATA and other professional associations are doing what we can to support her. You can learn more at ATA. The letter is here.
A court interpreter in Texas has written an open letter from certified and qualified interpreters to the judge in Meena’s proceedings. It specifically says it’s a letter from state certified interpreters, so while I approve of the content, I’m not eligible to sign it. Maybe the author can amend it so all language professionals can sign it. If you would like to sign the letter, the link is below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYf72AsU4GSTcHb1XXg_B2CVMLqTGv1IWvD3BaXg0Km77QUA/viewform
Musings from an overworked translator 