Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother, was deported to India after living in the US for over three decades. She moved to California in 1991 with her two young sons, fleeing political unrest in Punjab after her husband’s death. A Sikh woman with no criminal record, she worked as a seamstress in a sari store in the San Francisco Bay Area, paid taxes, and renewed work permits while reporting to immigration authorities every six months for over 13 years. Despite multiple asylum attempts, her claims were denied, with a removal order issued in 2005 and upheld through appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court.
On September 8, 2025, Kaur was arrested during a routine immigration check-in in San Francisco, shocking the Sikh community. Hundreds protested in California, with rallies in El Sobrante featuring signs like “Hands off our grandma” and support from Congressman John Garamendi and Senator Jesse Arreguin, who called her detention a “misplaced priority.” She was transferred from a Bakersfield facility to Los Angeles and then to a holding center in Georgia without notice to her family or lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia.
Her lawyer called her treatment “inhumane,” saying she endured 60-70 hours without a bed, sleeping on the floor despite double knee replacements, was denied showers, given ice to take medication, and offered only a cheese sandwich she couldn’t eat without dentures. Shackled during transport, she was also denied access to her belongings or a chance to visit her US home. On September 22, 2025, Kaur was deported to Delhi on a flight with 131 others, spared handcuffs due to her age but still under harsh conditions.
In Delhi, Kaur expressed her anguish, saying, “After living there so long, to be detained and deported like this—it’s better to die than face this.” With no living relatives in India—her parents and siblings deceased—and leaving behind two grandsons and three granddaughters in the US, she faces an uncertain future. ICE stated she had “exhausted decades of due process” and that her removal was necessary to enforce the law without further taxpayer cost.
Kaur’s case comes amid a broader immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, with over 3.7 million asylum cases pending. Critics argue that non-criminal immigrants who follow due process are being unfairly targeted. The Sikh Coalition condemned her treatment as “despicable” for a 73-year-old, highlighting a violation of basic standards.
