Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother and long-time resident of California, was deported to India on 22 September after living in the United States for over three decades. Her arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 8 September shocked the Sikh community and sparked widespread outrage.
Kaur originally moved to the US in 1991 with her two young sons, fleeing political turmoil in Punjab. During her time in California, she lived and worked legally while filing multiple unsuccessful asylum claims. Despite having no criminal record, her detention and subsequent deportation have been described as inhumane by her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia.
Allegations of Harsh Treatment in ICE Custody
According to Ahluwalia, Kaur was transferred to a holding facility in Georgia on 19 September, where she was forced to sleep on the floor for 60–70 hours, despite having double knee replacements. She was given ice to swallow her medication and denied food she could eat, while guards reportedly blamed her for not eating the provided sandwich.
In an Instagram video, Ahluwalia called her treatment “unacceptable”, highlighting the harsh conditions faced by elderly detainees in US immigration custody.
ICE Response: Legal Orders and Enforcement
ICE stated that Kaur had “exhausted decades of due process”, noting that an immigration judge had ordered her removal as far back as 2005. The agency added:
“Harjit Kaur has filed multiple appeals all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and lost each time. Now that she has exhausted all legal remedies, ICE is enforcing US law and the orders by the judge; she will not waste any more US tax dollars.”
Kaur, who lived in Hercules in the San Francisco Bay Area, worked for 20 years as a sari-store seamstress and paid her taxes while legally allowed to work as an asylum applicant.
Family and Community Shock
Harjit Kaur never got to return home or say goodbye to friends and family before being deported, a situation that has caused deep distress among her supporters. She told the Times of India:
“After living for so long in the US, you are suddenly detained and deported this way; it is better to die than to face this.”
Her arrest, which occurred during a routine check-in with immigration authorities in San Francisco, prompted protests across California, with members of the Sikh community calling for greater protections for long-term residents.
Context: US Immigration Crackdown
Kaur’s deportation comes amid a wider crackdown on immigration under the Donald Trump administration, which has intensified efforts to remove undocumented and certain asylum-seeking individuals.
Hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers enter the US every year, with over 3.7 million cases pending in immigration courts. While Trump has emphasized targeting the “worst of the worst,” critics argue that long-term residents who have followed due process, like Kaur, are also being affected.
Call to Action:
Should ICE provide more protections for elderly and long-term residents facing deportation? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments below.
