Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old East Bay woman, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for 15 days after a routine check-in. Despite having no criminal history and living legally in the US for over three decades, Kaur was deported to her home country of India without notice or advance warning.
Kaur had applied for asylum but was denied, and despite repeated appeals, she was unable to secure travel documents from the Indian Consulate. Her family visited ICE offices every six months, but on September 8, she was unexpectedly detained at a check-in and taken away in handcuffs.
ICE officials claim Kaur “litigated” her case for over 34 years and is now being enforced by the law. However, Kaur’s lawyer argues that this explanation ignores her family’s willingness to comply with deportation but requests accommodations due to her age and medical conditions.
Kaur was held in detention centers without basic hygiene supplies, including toilet paper, and was forced to sleep on the floor for hours. She was also denied vegetarian meals according to her Sikh faith and only received medicine after several days of detention.
ICE defended Kaur’s deportation, stating that she will no longer “waste” US tax dollars. However, Kaur’s lawyer emphasizes that she contributed to the US taxpayer system through her work and did not live off social security benefits.
Source: https://richmondside.org/2025/09/25/harjit-kaur-ice-deportation-india