Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh grandmother who had lived in the United States for over three decades, was denied proper food and medicine during her detention and given only a plate of ice when she requested water to take her medications.
Her ordeal was revealed by her US-based lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, who described her treatment as “unacceptable” by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Alleged Mistreatment During Detention
According to Ahluwalia, Kaur spent 60 to 70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite having undergone double knee replacement surgery. She was given a cheese sandwich but was denied water to take her medicines, prompting a guard to allegedly remark, “that’s your fault.”
Kaur was also denied a shower and forced to use wet wipes prior to boarding an ICE-chartered flight from Georgia to Armenia and then to New Delhi. Ahluwalia emphasised that despite having no criminal record, Kaur was treated harshly during her removal, which occurred after her final appeal options were exhausted.
Background and Repatriation
Kaur, originally from Pangota village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, moved to the US with her sons over 30 years ago after the death of her husband. She lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and worked at a sari store in Berkeley until health issues forced her to stop. She was taken into custody on September 8 during a routine check-in with immigration authorities in San Francisco and later transferred across multiple locations before arriving in Delhi on September 22.
Kaur expressed distress at being unable to return home to collect her belongings and described the physical toll of detention, including swollen feet and inability to walk. Her deportation has sparked protests among Sikh groups and immigrant rights advocates in California, with placards reading “Hands off our grandma” and “Bring grandma home.” A separate complaint is expected to be filed regarding her treatment in custody.
