An Altadena mother who came from Bangladesh nearly three decades ago has been detained by ICE. Her family says she is being denied critical medication and fears she may be deported.
Just nine months ago, Masuma Khan was briefly displaced due to the Eaton Fire and now she’s being held in an ICE detention Center. Her family and lawyer tell NBC4 it’s unclear why she’s being held and are fighting to bring her back home.
“She hasn’t done anything that would require this kind of treatment by people in power of the country that she has loved for so long,” said Riya Kahn, daughter of the detained woman.
Riya says her mother has lived in Altadena for nearly three decades. According to her lawyer, Khan came to the United States on a Visa from Bangladesh. Her application for immigration was denied in 1999, and she became undocumented
“My mom has always put her family before everybody else, especially me because I came here got sick and she was taking care of me most of my life, and my father and her are elderly and spent most of their lives together,” said Riya.
Khan has been living with her husband and daughter, both U.S. citizens and filed a petition for immigration status to apply for citizenship.
Her lawyer says Khan has a Final Order of Removal and is in the U.S. under an order of supervision, which requires regular check-ins with ICE, and it was during a routine visit that Khan was detained.
“When ICE asked her to do the check-ins, they made a determination she is not a danger or flight risk, and once you make that determination, the law says you shouldn’t be detained unless you have those findings,” said civil rights attorney Laboni Hoq.
Khan’s family and lawyer say she is being held at the California City Detention Center in Kern County and say her health is deteriorating because she is being denied critical medication for several chronic health conditions.
“It’s been really difficult seeing her struggle to breathe because they are not giving her the medications that she requires and she looks tired, she looks kinda worn down,” said Riya.
Attorney Hoq filed a habeas petition and temporary restraining order, arguing that Khan should be allowed to stay with her family on the terms of supervision because she has done that for years without any problems.
“This really shouldn’t be happening, so that’s frustrating as an attorney and frustrating to the family. We’re just not living in a situation where law and order is followed in the way it always has been,” said Hoq.
Khan’s court date for the temporary restraining order is Nov. 4
ICE and DHS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Khan’s case.