Undocumented Indian immigrant detained in Yuba City; ordered for deportation in three months

Baljit “Bali” Singh, who has been in the country for 12 years, would leave behind his wife and two preschool-age sons.

A Sikh Indian immigrant, Baljit “Bali” Singh, who has been living in the US undocumented since 2005, has been ordered to leave the country in three months. He would not be allowed to return for about 10 years, The Sacramento Bee reported.

A native of Chak Des Raj, a small village in Punjab, India, Singh had been visiting the local police authorities since 2013 to apprise them of his stay; however, following the new immigration crackdown and raids on undocumented aliens, he was detained during an August 1 visit to downtown Sacramento. He was in detention for a week and released with orders of deportation and ankle bracelet, according to the paper.

Nearly 42,000 people have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from January 22 through April 29, this year. This is a 40 percent spike over the same period in 2016. Reportedly, there is a surge of about 25 percent in the number of arrests of people with no criminal records.

RELATED: America’s ‘Little Punjab’: Yuba City (February 15, 2017)

“There is more than enough work for ICE to do going after criminals,” said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove. “The targeting of men and women, mothers and fathers and in some cases younger teenagers who have committed no crime, who are productive members of their community, is just wrong. Deportation is simply not going to be a solution and what is being carried out now is detrimental to families and communities.”

The ICE argues that these measures are imperative to ensure public safety.

“ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers identify, arrest, and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the United States illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts,” said David Jennings, ICE field office director for enforcement removal operations in San Francisco, in a recent statement. “Operations … that target and arrest convicted criminals and other immigration fugitives make our communities safer for everyone.”

Meanwhile, Singh would leave behind his wife Kate Singh and two preschool-age sons.