The detention of Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh woman from California’s East Bay, has ignited outrage and protests after she was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during what was supposed to be a routine check-in at the agency’s San Francisco office.
Kaur, who has lived in the United States for over 30 years, had faithfully reported to ICE every six months for more than a decade following the denial of her asylum case in 2012. Family members say ICE had previously assured her that she could remain under supervision with work permits while awaiting travel documents. Instead, she was unexpectedly transported to a detention centre in Bakersfield, leaving her family stunned and scrambling for answers.
Hundreds of community members gathered Friday for a protest organized by Kaur’s family, Indivisible West Contra Costa County, and the Sikh Centre, joined by local elected officials and staff from Congressman John Garamendi’s office. Garamendi confirmed that his office has formally inquired with ICE, calling her detention a clear example of “misplaced priorities” in U.S. immigration enforcement. “This administration’s decision to detain a 73-year-old woman with no criminal record is deeply troubling,” he said, pledging full support for her release.
Kaur, a longtime employee at a local Indian clothing store, is described by her family as independent, hardworking, and a “mother figure” to her grandchildren. Her relatives are now pleading for her freedom, citing her age and health conditions, including thyroid disease, chronic knee pain, and anxiety. “We are all just in a state of shock,” said her granddaughter Sukhdeep Kaur.
Local councillor Dilli Bhattarai said efforts are underway to put additional pressure on federal authorities. “She has all the rights to be here as a community member and we should all support her immediate release,” he said.
The case has become a rallying point for immigrant rights advocates, who argue that detaining elderly individuals with strong community ties and clean records undermines the stated goal of targeting “the worst of the worst.”