A 73-year-old Indian-origin woman has become the center of mounting protests in California after she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during what her family believed would be a routine check-in.
Harjit Kaur, a longtime resident of Hercules in the East Bay, has lived in the United States for more than 30 years.
She was taken into custody by ICE on September 8 in San Francisco and transferred the next day to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, her family said.
Kaur, who immigrated from India in 1992 as a single mother of two, has no criminal record. Her asylum claim was denied in 2012, after which she remained under ICE supervision.
According to the family, she was repeatedly told she could stay in the U.S. until Indian authorities issued travel documents.
The detention has sparked widespread anger and calls for her release. On Friday, about 200 people rallied in El Sobrante with signs reading “Hands Off Our Grandma” and “Bring Grandma Home.”
The protest was organized by her family, the Sikh Center, and local advocacy group Indivisible West Contra Costa.
“She’s not a criminal. And she’s not only my grandma—she is everyone’s grandma,” said her granddaughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, telling Richmondside that Harjit is seen as a “mother figure… independent, selfless, hard-working.”
Local officials also showed support. A representative from Congressman John Garamendi’s office attended, along with Hercules City Council member Dilli Bhattarai, who said, “She is not doing any harm to the community. She is an abiding constituent just like us.”
Kaur worked more than 20 years as a seamstress at a family-run Berkeley store. Her daughter-in-law, Manjit Kaur, said Harjit has consistently cooperated with ICE 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 family also raised concerns about Kaur’s health, citing thyroid issues, chronic knee pain, migraines, and anxiety, and claimed she is not receiving proper access to medication in detention.
“When we did hear from her, she was crying and begging us for help,” the family told ABC7 News.
Congressman Garamendi criticized the detention as “misplaced priorities,” urging ICE to focus on high-risk individuals rather than elderly residents with deep community ties; his office has submitted an inquiry to ICE.
California Assemblymember Alex Lee likewise voiced support, saying Kaur did everything asked of her and should not be treated this way.
The family has launched a campaign website, bringharjithome.com, urging people to contact elected officials and demand her release.
