Hercules, CA, September 15, 2025: The detention of a 73-year-old Punjabi grandmother by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked outrage and community protests in California’s East Bay, where she has lived for more than three decades.
Harjit Kaur, who immigrated to the United States in 1992 as a single mother of two, was taken into custody on September 8 after appearing for what her family thought was a routine check-in at ICE’s San Francisco office. For over 13 years, Kaur had been reporting faithfully to the agency every six months following the denial of her asylum claim in 2012. Until now, ICE had allowed her to remain in the country under supervision, even granting her work authorization while she awaited travel documents.
Family members say the detention came without warning. Kaur, who has no criminal record, was instead transferred to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield. Her family is deeply worried about her health, noting that she suffers from thyroid disease, migraines, knee pain, and anxiety, and has not had full access to her medications while in custody. In a recent phone call, relatives said she broke down in tears, pleading for help…