The detention of Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Indian American woman, during a scheduled ICE appointment has triggered protests and raised questions about U.S. immigration practices.
For more than three decades, Kaur built her life in Hercules, a community in California’s East Bay. But on Sept. 8, the 73-year-old was unexpectedly taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during what was supposed to be a routine appointment in San Francisco, leaving her family and community reeling. According to her family, she was transferred the next day to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield. “She was taken to a detention center in Bakersfield,” noted Berkeleyside, a nonprofit news outlet.
Her family, along with community leaders and advocacy groups, are calling for her release, citing her health issues such as thyroid problems, chronic knee pain, migraines and anxiety, and the strong roots she has built in the community. Kaur’s family also emphasized that she has never had a criminal record and has consistently reported to ICE every six months for more than 13 years. She immigrated from India in 1992 as a single mother raising two sons, and has remained under ICE supervision since her asylum request was denied in 2012, according to The Indian Express.
Her sudden detention has prompted an outpouring of support, with about 200 people gathering in El Sobrante on Friday. Many held signs reading “Hands Off Our Grandma” and “Bring Grandma Home,” turning the protest into both a plea for her release and a show of solidarity. “She’s not a criminal. And she’s not only my grandma. She is everyone’s grandma,” said Sukhdeep Kaur, Harjit Kaur’s granddaughter, at the protest. “Everyone looks up to her as a mother figure… she is independent, selfless, hard-working,” she added. Her family, together with the Sikh Center and the local advocacy group Indivisible West Contra Costa, organized and led the protest.
The protest also saw participation from a representative of Congressman John Garamendi’s office, along with Hercules City Council member Dilli Bhattarai. “She is not doing any harm to the community. She is an abiding constituent just like us,” Bhattarai said. For more than 20 years, Kaur worked as a seamstress in a family-owned shop in Berkeley, quietly building her life in the community.
Speaking at the protest, her daughter-in-law Manjit Kaur said Harjit has consistently complied with immigration requirements and made multiple attempts to secure travel documents from the Indian Consulate. “ICE has been trying for the past 13 years to get her a travel document. If ICE can’t get it in 13 years, how are we supposed to get it?” she asked the crowd, as quoted by Firstpost.
Congressman John Garamendi denounced the detention, calling it “misplaced priorities” and urging ICE to direct its attention toward high-risk cases instead of elderly residents who have spent decades in the community. California Assembly member Alex Lee also backed Kaur, stressing that she should not be subjected to such treatment.
Strong resistance to her detention also echoed online, with messages of support and solidarity flooding X. State Senator Jesse Arreguin wrote on X, “over 70% of people arrested by ICE have no criminal conviction. Now, they are literally going after peaceful grandmothers. This shameful act is harming our communities. I demand the release of Harjit Kaur.”
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While #FreeHarjitKaur started appearing on X. One of the users, Amar Shergill Californiawala, wrote: “She’s 73 years old, suffering in a Bakersfield jail after 13 years of problem-free immigration check-ins. She’s a seamstress paying taxes, caring for her grandchildren, and supporting charities. We are fighting so many cases like just hers across the nation. #FreeHarjitKaur” Another user wrote, “73 Year old Bebe Harjit Kaur is in ICE custody. At her advanced age, detention poses serious risks to her health. Her family is calling for her immediate release, elders deserve care and dignity, not confinement. #FreeHarjitKaur #PunjabFloods”
The family has set up a campaign website, bringharjithome.com, calling on supporters to reach out to elected representatives including Congressman Garamendi, Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, as well as the White House to press for her release. According to ABC7 News, Garamendi’s office is actively advocating for her release, as members of the Indian community and local neighbors keep rallying in her support.
Kaur’s detention underscores mounting scrutiny of ICE’s enforcement practices, particularly in cases involving elderly immigrants with strong community ties. With lawmakers, advocacy groups, and local residents calling for her release, the outcome of her case could signal how U.S. immigration authorities balance security priorities with humanitarian concerns.