Grandma, 73, Living In The US For 33 Years, Detained By ICE

Photos: The Sikh Coalition

India-West News Desk

HERCULES, CA — A 73-year-old grandmother from Hercules, CA, has been taken into federal custody and transferred to an immigration detention facility in Bakersfield, sparking outrage among her family and community.

Harjit Kaur, an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the East Bay for more than 30 years, was detained after appearing for what was supposed to be a routine immigration check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Francisco. Kaur has been under ICE supervision since her asylum claim was denied in 2012.

“She’s been doing ICE check-ins for 13 years,” said her daughter-in-law, Manjit Kaur. “We didn’t expect it at all. It’s been a nightmare.”

Kaur’s family emphasized that she has never resisted deportation. They said she repeatedly sought travel documents from the Indian Consulate but was turned away each time. For years, ICE itself assured her she could remain under supervision until those papers were issued, they said.

Kaur immigrated from India in 1992 as a single mother of two sons. She worked for more than two decades at a Berkeley shop, Sari Palace, and has been a familiar face at the El Sobrante Sikh Gurdwara.

Her granddaughter, Sukhmeet Sandhu, recalled the moment, on September 8, when the family learned of her detention. “They just said, ‘We are detaining your grandma,’ and didn’t give me any other information,” she said. “They didn’t let me see her. For hours we didn’t hear from her, and when we finally did, she was crying and begging us for help.”

Kaur was transferred the next day to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, nearly five hours from her home. Her family says the distance makes it harder to support her, particularly because of her age and health conditions, which include thyroid disease, migraines, knee pain, and anxiety.

“She’s everything to me,” said Manjit Kaur, her daughter-in-law, breaking down in tears during a protest outside the El Sobrante Sikh Gurdwara on September 12. “I’m praying that she’s okay there.”

More than 200 people joined that demonstration, waving signs that read “Bring Grandma Home” and “Hands Off Our Grandma.” Passing drivers honked in support as community members called for her release.

Congressman John Garamendi’s office has stepped in, demanding answers from ICE. His Richmond representative, Hapreet Sandhu, said, “We are making sure that she is released. If she wants to self-deport, she will have that opportunity.”

Garamendi himself criticized the decision to detain her as “misplaced priorities,” arguing that ICE should focus on dangerous offenders instead of senior citizens with a record of compliance.

California State Assemblymember Alex Lee has also expressed support, saying Harjit “is doing it the right way” and should not be mistreated.

Her family has launched a website, bringharjithome.com, urging supporters to contact elected officials, including and the White House.