Nina Chaubal Taken Into Custody at Immigration Checkpoint
The founder of a transgender helpline has been detained in Arizona at a random immigration checkpoint. When the van was stopped last Wednesday night, TransLifeline founder Nina Chaubal was detained.
Chaubal, who is originally from India, came to the U.S. in 2009 while she was in college. She worked as a software engineer at Google before founding TransLifeline in 2014.
When they married in 2015, Chaubal and TransLifeline co-founder Greta Martela thought that obtaining a green card would be simple. Paperwork issues delayed the process.
Because Chaubal is undocumented, she could be deported. However, Martela told NCRM that she has a reasonable case for asylum given that India does not recognize same-sex marriage and criminalizes sex between opposite-sex partners. Abuse and discrimination against transgender people in India is also common in spite of recent legal advances.
Among Martela’s fears are that Chaubal is being transferred to Eloy detention center, a privately-run facility with a history of abusing LGBTQ detainees.
“I think we’re afraid that random checkpoints is what the country is going to look like for the next four years,†Martela said.
TransLifeline has helped thousands of trans individuals overcome challenges ranging from daily anxiety to suicidal episodes. For many individuals, it is the safest way to get help, as other emergency line operators aren’t always equipped to handle the issues facing transgender people.
The hashtag #FreeNina is being used to show support, and there is a GoFundMe page to help with her legal expenses.Â
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Image via Facebook