Harjeet Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh woman, was deported from the United States after living there for over 33 years. Her deportation has sparked outrage and protests. Kaur was detained during a routine immigration check in California. Her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, noted that her case underscores not only humanitarian concerns, but also exposes the harshness of the U.S. immigration system and the insecurity experienced by immigrant communities.
Kaur arrived in the US in 1992, a single mother with two sons. She spent over three decades in the East Bay area of California, working in an Indian apparel store. Her granddaughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, described her as selfless and hardworking, a maternal figure to the community.
Despite her asylum application being rejected in 2012, Kaur consistently reported to the San Francisco immigration office every six months. She was given the assurance that she could remain in the U.S. under supervision until her travel documents were completed. During a routine check, ICE officials suddenly took her into custody. She was then moved from Bakersfield to Los Angeles, Georgia, and finally to Delhi. Her family was not given advance notice and was denied a final farewell.