Washington, 27 September (H.S.): A 73-year-old grandmother who had lived in the United States for more than three decades has been deported to India after her asylum pleas were repeatedly rejected.Harjit Kaur, a resident of California since 1991, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on 8 September during a routine check-in with immigration authorities in San Francisco. Her sudden detention, despite her age and frail health, drew outcry from the Sikh community in the Bay Area.

Kaur fled Punjab in the early 1990s with her two sons citing political unrest, and lived in the U.S. while seeking asylum. Though allowed to work legally during lengthy court proceedings, her applications were denied over the years. An immigration judge ordered her removal in 2005—a decision upheld by multiple appeals, including at the Ninth Circuit Court.

Her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, alleged that ICE subjected her to “unacceptable” treatment while in custody. He said she was forced to sleep on the floor for days despite double knee replacements, provided only ice water to take her medication, and denied food she could eat.

Transferred to a holding facility in Georgia on 19 September, she was deported to Delhi on 22 September without being allowed to return home or bid farewell to her family. On arrival, she told Indian media that “after living for so long in the U.S., it is better to die than to be deported like this.”ICE defended its actions, saying Kaur had “exhausted decades of due process” and that the agency was simply enforcing court orders.Her arrest has re-ignited debate in the U.S. over the Trump administration’s immigration policy, which critics say unfairly targets long-term residents with no criminal record.

Sikh groups in California staged protests, accusing ICE of inhumanity towards an elderly woman who had paid taxes and contributed to her community while awaiting asylum.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar