A 73-year-old grandmother, Harjit Kaur, who spent more than three decades living in the United States, has been deported to India, sparking outrage within the Sikh community.
Life in the U.S. and Asylum Attempts
Ms. Kaur moved to California in 1991 with her two young sons, fleeing political turmoil in Punjab. She lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for decades, including two decades as a sari-store seamstress, while making multiple unsuccessful attempts to secure asylum.
Her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, said Ms. Kaur had no criminal record and alleged she was treated in an “unacceptable” manner by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during detention.
Detention and Deportation
ICE arrested Ms. Kaur on September 8 when she went for a routine check-in in San Francisco. She was transferred to a holding facility in Georgia on September 19 and deported on September 22 without being able to visit her home or bid farewell to family and friends.
Ahluwalia alleged that during detention, Ms. Kaur spent 60–70 hours on the floor without a bed, despite having double knee replacements. He said she was given ice to swallow her medication and denied food she could safely eat.
In a statement, ICE said Ms. Kaur had “exhausted decades of due process” and that an immigration judge ordered her removal in 2005. “Harjit Kaur has filed multiple appeals all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and lost each time,” ICE said, adding that enforcement of the order was necessary.
Community Reaction
Her deportation sparked protests in California and anger within the Sikh community. Many criticized the manner of her arrest and detention, highlighting her long-standing contributions as a worker and taxpayer.
After arriving in Delhi, Ms. Kaur told the Times of India, “After living for so long in the U.S., you are suddenly detained and deported this way; it is better to die than to face this.”
Her case comes amid a wider U.S. immigration crackdown under the Trump administration targeting alleged illegal immigrants, even those without criminal records.
