A 73-year-old grandmother who spent more than three decades living in the US has been deported to India, the BBC reported yesterday.
Harjit Kaur, who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum in the US, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on 8 September, sparking shock among the Sikh community.
She moved to California in 1991 with her two young sons to escape political turmoil in Punjab and lived and worked there while making several unsuccessful asylum attempts in the US.
Her lawyer, Deepak Ahluwalia, has alleged that Ms Kaur – who has no criminal record – was treated in an “unacceptable” manner by ICE officials during her detention.
Ms Kaur was moved to a holding facility in Georgia on 19 September and deported to India on 22 September, never getting to visit her US home or bid a proper farewell to family and friends, Mr Ahluwalia said.
Mr Ahluwalia described Ms Kaur’s treatment in an Instagram video as “unacceptable”, saying she spent 60-70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite double knee replacements.
He alleged she was given ice to take medication and denied food she could eat, with guards blaming her for her inability to eat the provided sandwich.
In an earlier statement to the BBC, ICE said Ms Kaur had “exhausted decades of due process” and that an immigration judge had ordered her removal in 2005.
