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New Delhi: A 73-year-old Punjabi grandmother, Harjit Kaur, has been detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after living in California's East Bay for over three decades. Kaur, a longtime resident of Hercules with no criminal record, was asked to report to the ICE office in San Francisco on September 8 for routine paperwork. She was unexpectedly detained and transferred the next day to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, according to her family.
Kaur, who came to the US from India in 1992 as a single mother of two sons, has been under ICE supervision since her asylum claim was denied in 2012. Her family and the local community insist that she poses no threat and describe her as a law-abiding, independent, and selfless figure. “She’s not a criminal. She is everyone’s grandma,” said her granddaughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, during a rally on Friday.
Around 200 people gathered at El Sobrante, below the local Gurudwara, waving posters that read "Bring grandma home" and " Hands off our grandma." The protest was organised by Kaur's family alongside Indivisible West Contra Costa and the Sikh Center, and saw passing cars honking in solidarity. Even local officials including staff from Congressman John Garamendi’s office and Hercules City Council member Dilli Bhattarai, joined in support.
Bhattarai said, “Harjit Kaur is a mom, a grandmother, and she is not doing any harm to anyone. She is a law-abiding constituent… We are a sanctuary city. We welcome everyone who follows the law and does not engage in crime.” Gurdeep Singh of the El Sobrante Gurudwara also expressed concern for her well-being and emphasised that Kaur is a noted member of the community.
Kaur's daughter-in-law, Manjit Kaur told the crowd that her mother-in-law has never resisted deportation and has repeatedly sought travel documents from the Indian Consulate, which were denied. “ICE has been trying for the past 13 years to get her a travel document. If ICE can’t get it in 13 years, how are we supposed to?” she said. Family members also said that Kaur, who suffers from thyroid disease, migraines, knee pain, and anxiety, does not have full access to her medications at Mesa Verde.
Congressman Garamendi has also condemned the detention as "misplaced priorities" and vowed to press ICE for her release. California Assembly member Alex Lee also voiced support. Kaur's family has launched a campaign website bringharjithome.com.
