By Abhishek Tiwari

Copyright republicworld

New Delhi: A 73-year-old Sikh grandmother, who had been living in the US for over three decades, has been deported by the United States (US) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to reports, the old grandmother, Harjit Kaur, was forcibly deported to India from the US handcuffed, drawing massive outrage from immigrant rights advocates and local leaders.According to her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, Harjit Kaur was abruptly taken into custody on September 8, when she appeared for a routine immigration appointment in San Francisco. She was then transferred to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Centre in Bakersfield, where her family claimed she had inconsistent access to her prescribed medication for high blood pressure and diabetes.The conditions of her detention and deportation have been described as inhumane by her lawyer. Advocate Ahluwalia alleged that Harjit Kaur was subjected to harsh treatment, including being taken to Georgia in handcuffs on Saturday morning, despite having undergone double knee replacement surgery. Further, until her departure on Monday evening, she was held in a temporary detention facility for outgoing detainees, where she was denied basic amenities, including a bed. “She was not given a bed and had to share a holding room with others, where the only options were a concrete bench or the floor. She was forced to sleep on the floor with just a blanket and struggled to stand after lying down,” Ahluwalia said.Harjit Kaur’s family had arranged for her travel documents and requested that she be sent on a commercial flight, but their requests were ignored. “She was not even allowed to say goodbye to her family or collect her belongings,” the lawyer added, explaining the sudden and brutal nature of her deportation.The Sikh Coalition, which has taken up Harjit Kaur’s case, strongly condemned her deportation, describing it as beyond unacceptable. The organisation cited her age, widowhood, and medical conditions as reasons why her deportation was particularly appalling.As per reports, Harjit Kaur immigrated to the US in 1992 as a single mother of two sons and worked as a seamstress in an Indian saree shop. She paid taxes, volunteered at gurdwaras, and lived a life deeply integrated into American society. Although her asylum application was rejected and a removal order was issued in 2005, she complied with ICE protocols for over 13 years, including regular check-ins and work permit renewals. She had been reporting to ICE in San Francisco every six months without fail. In 2012, her asylum claim was denied, after which she remained under ICE supervision.Meanwhile, the sudden deportation has prompted protests in California, with hundreds gathering to demand justice for Harjit Kaur. Signs reading ‘Bring Grandma Home’, ‘Harjit Kaur Belongs Here’, ‘She Is No Criminal’ and ‘Hands Off Our Grandma’ were held aloft by protestors, who demanded that ICE halt her deportation.Local leaders, including Congressman John Garamendi and California Senator Jesse Arreguin, urged ICE to reconsider its decision, describing the deportation as a “misplaced priority”. However, ICE defended its actions, stating that Harjit Kaur had exhausted all legal remedies and that her deportation was a necessary enforcement of US law.ICE defended its actions, stating that Harjit Kaur had exhausted all legal remedies and that her deportation was a necessary enforcement of US law. “Kaur has filed multiple appeals all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and lost each time. Now that she has exhausted all legal remedies, ICE is enforcing US law and the orders issued by the judge. She will not waste any more US tax dollars,” stated ICE, as reported by foreign media. The Sikh Coalition summed up the sentiment of many when they said, “This deportation is not just about one grandmother. It is about the systemic cruelty inflicted on immigrant families who have lived, worked, and served their communities in America for decades.”The protestors outlined the human cost of stepped-up deportations under the Trump administration. The rights groups have long argued that such policies are cruel and inhumane, causing irreparable harm to families and communities. As Harjit Kaur arrives in India, her family and supporters are left to pick up the pieces of a life shattered by her sudden deportation. Also Read | How Wangchuk’s NGO Received Foreign Funding To Study ‘Sovereignty of Nation’, FCRA Suspended