A 73-year-old Sikh grandmother, Harjit Kaur, has been deported to India after more than three decades of living in the United States, a move that has sparked anger and grief within the Sikh community in California. Kaur, who migrated from Punjab to California in 1991 with her two sons to escape political unrest, had repeatedly applied for asylum but was denied at every stage.
Lawyer Condemns Harjit Kaur’s Detention Conditions as ICE Defends Deportation
According to her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, Kaur was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 8 September during a routine check-in in San Francisco. She was later transferred to a holding facility in Georgia on 19 September and deported to India three days later. Ahluwalia described her treatment as “unacceptable,” claiming she spent up to 70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite having double knee replacements. He also alleged she was denied proper food and given only ice with her medication.
ICE, however, stated that Kaur had “exhausted decades of due process.” An immigration judge ordered her removal as early as 2005, and she had since filed multiple appeals up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, all of which were rejected. With no legal remedies left, officials said they were simply enforcing the law.
Harjit Kaur’s Arrest Sparks Outrage Amid Trump-Era Immigration Crackdown
Kaur, who lived in Hercules in the San Francisco Bay Area, worked for more than 20 years as a seamstress in a sari store while legally allowed to work during her asylum process. Supporters noted that she paid taxes and had no criminal record.
Her sudden arrest and deportation, however, drew protests from community members who saw her as a law-abiding immigrant unfairly targeted amid the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration. Critics argue that while officials focus on deporting “the worst of the worst,” individuals like Kaur are also being swept up in the process.
Summary:
Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh grandmother, was deported to India after over 30 years in the US, sparking outrage in the Sikh community. Despite no criminal record and decades of legal asylum appeals, ICE detained her under harsh conditions. Critics say her case highlights the Trump-era immigration crackdown on law-abiding immigrants.
