Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old woman from Punjab, was deported to India this week after living in the United States for more than 30 years. She arrived at Delhi’s airport on September 23. Her lawyer said she was taken suddenly from Bakersfield to Los Angeles, put on a chartered flight to Georgia, and then flown to New Delhi.
The journey was distressing. Kaur was reportedly shackled for long periods, kept in bare concrete cells, and denied basic necessities. She was not allowed to say goodbye to her family or collect her belongings. Her lawyer called the process inhumane.
Her family had asked for two simple things: to send her back on a commercial flight and let her meet her loved ones briefly. These requests were refused.
The Sikh Coalition, which is supporting Kaur, called the deportation unacceptable. They pointed out that she is an elderly widow with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Kaur had been detained on September 8 after a routine visit to the San Francisco ICE office. She was moved between detention centers in Fresno and Bakersfield and reportedly spent two weeks without consistent access to her prescribed medications.
She moved to the US in 1992 as a single mother. She worked as a seamstress in an Indian saree store, paid taxes, and volunteered at gurdwaras. Although her asylum application was denied in 2005, she followed ICE rules for over 13 years, attending check-ins and renewing work permits while waiting for travel documents from the Indian consulate.
Her sudden deportation sparked protests in California. Hundreds gathered in El Sobrante holding signs supporting her. Local leaders also spoke out, calling her detention a misplaced priority.
ICE defended its actions, saying Kaur had exhausted all legal appeals, including at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and that they were enforcing US law.
Rights groups say her case shows the human cost of strict deportation policies. The Sikh Coalition emphasized that her story reflects the struggles of immigrant families who have lived and contributed to America for decades.
