Grandmother, 73, Endures Inhumane ICE Conditions, Before Being Deported

India-West Staff Reporter

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A 73-year-old grandmother, Harjit Kaur, is now safely in India but only after enduring weeks of inhumane treatment in U.S. immigration custody, and has left the community demanding accountability.

Kaur, who lived in California for over 30 years and faithfully complied with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reporting requirements for more than a decade, was arrested on September 8 during a routine check-in. Despite her willingness to return to India as ordered, she was subjected to cruel conditions that exposed systemic failures in the immigration system.

She was moved to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, where she was denied vegetarian meals, forced to sleep without a bed, and waited weeks for essential medications.

Overcrowded, noisy visiting areas made contact with family nearly impossible.

Most shockingly, she was transferred in the middle of the night to a facility in Georgia, with no notification to her family, legal counsel, or community support.

“Thirteen years of compliance, zero criminal history, and yet she was treated like a danger to society,” said her attorney, Deepak Ahluwalia. “A 73-year-old grandmother should never have faced this.”

Family friend Heeral Mehta described the helplessness they felt: “We didn’t even know where to start. At every step, we were kept in the dark. Her strength—and the support from SALDEF, the Sikh Coalition, and community advocates—kept her going.”

Many Indian Americans look at political asylum askance, but Kaur’s case has underscored to several members of the community that no one should face such dehumanizing treatment.

Before Kaur was flown out of the US,  “We had just two demands: first, to send her back on a commercial flight, and second, to let her meet her family for a few hours. But they refused to listen,” said Ahluwalia.

SALDEF has called for urgent reforms to prevent abuse, protect human dignity, and hold officials accountable.

“Ms. Kaur’s suffering is a wake-up call,” said SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill. “We must ensure that no other person is subjected to this cruelty while in ICE custody.”