Who Is Harjit Kaur, 73-year-old Indian Grandmother Detained "Without Warning" in US
Amid US President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration, Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Indian origin grandmother, was detained by immigration authorities in California when she went for a routine check-in with the US agency.
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In 1992, Kaur relocated to the United States from India, arriving as a single mother with her two sons.
Washington:
As part of President Donald Trump's intensified immigration enforcement, Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother of Indian origin, was unexpectedly taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials during a standard check-in appointment in California. According to her family, Kaur has resided in the United States for over three decades, maintains a clean criminal record, and has diligently reported to ICE every six months for more than 13 years.
The detention occurred "without warning" last Monday at the San Francisco ICE office when Kaur visited to submit requested documentation, as reported by Fox KTVU.
On Friday, numerous supporters gathered in El Sobrante to demonstrate solidarity with Kaur, who has long been a resident of Hercules. Images of the protest circulating online showed demonstrators holding signs with messages such as "Harjit Kaur belongs here, ICE does not", "Hands off our grandma", and "She's no criminal."
Who Is Harjit Kaur
Kaur, grandmother to two grandsons and three granddaughters, immigrated to America from India in 1992 as a single mother raising two sons. She has made the Bay Area her home since then and worked as a seamstress at Sari Palace on Berkeley's University Avenue for more than twenty years.
Her granddaughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, characterized her as embodying the American dream. She was considered "everyone's grandma" - a "mother figure [to the community who] is independent, selfless, hard-working," Sukhdeep Kaur told Berkeleyside, a nonprofit news organization.
In 2012, after the US administration denied Kaur's asylum request, she never refused to return to India, according to her daughter-in-law, Manji Kaur, who stated that her mother-in-law repeatedly attempted to obtain travel documents from the Indian Consulate but was unsuccessful.
She has "faithfully reported" to the San Francisco ICE office every six months for more than 13 years, and ICE had assured her she could remain in the United States under supervision with work permits pending receipt of her travel documents, explained Manji Kaur.
"She's eligible [and] always applied for a work permit. ...She pays taxes every year...She's going by the book. She doesn't even have, from my knowledge, and I would know, any violations for driving or anything like that," Maji Kaur stated.
On Monday, when she went to the San Francisco ICE office to submit a requested travel application, she was detained. Her family reported that authorities provided no explanation for her detention, noting that previously, "there have been no issues."
"She's been here over 30 years, working, paying taxes. I don't even think she has a speeding ticket, any type of violation like that. She's a part of the community," Manjit said.
Democrat Congressman Extends Support
Congressman John Garamendi has voiced support for the family and indicated that his office has submitted an inquiry to ICE requesting Kaur's release from custody.
"President Trump initially promised to go after the 'worst of the worst' in his immigration policy. Yet this administration's decision to detain a 73-year-old woman -- a respected member of the community with no criminal record who has faithfully reported to ICE every six months for more than 13 years-- is one more example of the misplaced priorities of Trump's immigration enforcement. Our office will do everything possible to support her case and her family," he said.