'Served Beef When I'm Vegetarian': Punjab Woman's Harrowing US Deportation After 3 Decades

Mohali:

Indian-origin Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old grandmother who resided in the United States for over three decades, was deported back to India after her asylum request was not approved by US authorities.Harjit Kaur was living with her two sons, both married, but was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities recently.She first arrived in the United States in 1992 as a single mother with two sons. She had sought asylum in the United States but was denied in 2012.

However, she never broke the law, reported to law enforcement authorities every time she was asked to, and faithfully responded to ICE in San Francisco every six months for more than 13 years.But the senior citizen was arrested on September 12 before being deported back to India.

Narrating her ordeal during the time she was arrested, Harjit Kaur said that she was given scant food and denied medicines.According to reports, she also said that she couldn’t eat the food they served her because she is vegetarian, but they served beef, which she doesn’t eat.

"Their behaviour was very bad. I was arrested on 8 September... I was arrested and taken to Bakersfield, where I stayed for 8-10 days. I was then taken to Arizona, from where I was sent to Delhi...," Harjit Kaur told ANI.

She told ANI that she was given chips and cookies in food."My children over there will do something. I cannot do anything", Kaur further added.

Harjit Kaur Deported To India After 3 Decades

Harjit Kaur, 73, was deported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to India after spending three decades in US. Kaur, who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum in the US, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on September 8. She moved to California in 1991 with her two young sons and lived and worked there while making several unsuccessful asylum attempts in the US.

She was moved to a holding facility in Georgia on September 19 and deported to India on September 22, never getting to visit her US home or bid a proper farewell to family and friends.She spent 60-70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite double knee replacements. 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.Harjit Kaur has filed multiple appeals all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of appeals and lost each time.During the weekly media briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday highlighted that 2,417 Indian nationals have been deported or repatriated from the United States since January 2025. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's firm stance against illegal migration, emphasising commitment to promoting legal pathways for migration.With inputs from ANI