Long Beach Natraj Restaurant’s Bubbly Kaur Detained By ICE During Biometrics Visit

Photo: Gofundme

India-West News Desk

LONG BEACH, CA – Natraj Cuisine of India has been a presence in the vibrant Belmont Shore neighborhood in this city of Southern Californians for decades. A familiar storefront on 2nd Street where generations of Long Beach residents gathered over meals and conversation. Now the family behind the restaurant is at the center of an immigration detention case that has shaken the community.

Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur, 60, who ran Natraj with her husband for more than 20 years, was detained by federal agents on December 1 during a scheduled biometrics appointment connected to her green card application. She is currently being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by a close family friend describes Kaur as “a cherished part of the Long Beach community for over 30 years,” noting that she and her husband “served countless neighbors and built lasting relationships.”

Local support has grown rapidly. Congressman Robert Garcia, who represents Long Beach, has been in contact with federal authorities and has submitted a request seeking Kaur’s release. His office has said it is monitoring the case, while the family prepares additional legal filings that could allow Kaur to be released on bond as her case proceeds.

Kaur immigrated to the United States with her family in the mid 1990s, first settling in Laguna Beach before moving to Long Beach when work brought them to the Belmont Shore area. Along with running Natraj, she worked for about 25 years at the Belmont Shore Rite Aid until the pharmacy chain closed its remaining locations earlier this year. More recently, she had been preparing to return to restaurant work at Royal Indian Curry House.

On December 1, Kaur attended what was expected to be a routine biometrics appointment, typically a brief visit involving fingerprinting and a photograph. Instead, federal agents arrived at the office and took her into custody, despite her having no criminal background, according to her family

For several hours, the family did not know where Kaur had been taken. They later learned she had been shackled and moved through Los Angeles before being transferred overnight to Adelanto, a former federal prison now used as an ICE detention center.

At Adelanto, Kaur has been held in a large dorm-style room with dozens of other detainees, her family said. Lights remain on overnight and noise is constant, making sleep difficult

Kaur has been able to receive visits during restricted visiting hours, though family members say the process often requires waiting an entire day for a brief visit. Physical contact is limited, adding to the emotional strain on the family, who say Kaur and her husband, married for more than four decades, have rarely been apart.

Kaur’s current immigration application is tied to close relatives who are U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, as well as to her husband’s health issues. Her family believed the December appointment was the final step toward securing permanent residency.

The GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $22,000  in less than a week, with donations intended to cover legal fees, commissary costs, and communication expenses. Organizers have said any remaining funds will be donated to other families facing similar situations.