Altadena Mother Detained by ICE, Family Fears Deportation and Medical Neglect
A decades-long resident of Altadena, California, originally from Bangladesh, is currently being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her family alleges she is being denied necessary medication and faces potential deportation, raising concerns about due process and humanitarian considerations.
Did you know? – Masuma Khan, an Altadena resident for nearly three decades, arrived in the U.S. on a visa. Her 1999 immigration application was denied, leading to undocumented status. She has remained a vital part of her community and family.
Masuma Khan’s ordeal follows a recent displacement caused by the Eaton Fire just nine months ago. Now, she is held at an ICE detention center while her family and legal counsel seek answers regarding the reason for her detention and fight for her immediate release.
“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,” stated a family member, expressing anguish over the situation.
Khan has resided in Altadena for nearly three decades,arriving in the United States on a visa from Bangladesh. While her initial application for immigration was denied in 1999, resulting in her undocumented status, she has remained a vital part of her community and family.
A daughter, Riya Kahn, emphasized her mother’s unwavering dedication to her family, especially during a period of illness. “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,” she said.
Pro tip: – ICE previously deemed Khan neither a danger nor a flight risk. Attorney Laboni Hoq notes that detention shoudl not occur if those findings are in place. This raises questions about the justification for her current detention.
Khan lives with her husband and daughter, both U.S. citizens, and has filed a petition for immigration status with the intention of applying for citizenship. despite this ongoing petition, she was detained during a routine check-in with ICE, as required under an order of supervision following a previous Final Order of Removal.
According to civil rights attorney Laboni Hoq, ICE had previously resolute Khan to be neither a danger nor a flight risk. “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,” Hoq explained. This raises questions about the justification for her current detention.
The family and Hoq report that Khan is being held at the California City Detention Center in Kern County,where her health is reportedly deteriorating due to the denial of 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,” Riya Kahn shared, detailing the distressing impact on her mother’s well-being.
reader question: – Khan’s health is reportedly declining due to denied medication. Her daughter describes her mother struggling to breathe and appearing worn down. The family and attorney are fighting for her release and access to necessary medical care.
Hoq has filed a habeas petition and a temporary restraining order, arguing that Khan should be allowed to remain with her family under the existing terms of supervision, a condition she has adhered to for years without incident. “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,” Hoq stated, highlighting a perceived inconsistency in the application of immigration law.
A court
