NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
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.
The arrest has galvanized the East Bay’s Punjabi and Sikh community, along with immigrant rights advocates. On September 12, nearly 200 protesters gathered in El Sobrante carrying signs that read “Bring Grandma Home” and “Hands Off Our Grandma.” The rally was organized by Kaur’s family and supported by groups including Indivisible West Contra Costa and the Sikh Center. Local leaders, including Hercules City Council member Dilli Bhattarai and staff from Congressman John Garamendi’s office, joined demonstrators in demanding her release.
“ICE should be focusing on dangerous offenders, not on a 73-year-old grandmother who has complied with every requirement for over a decade,” Rep. Garamendi said in a statement. His office has filed an inquiry with ICE and is pressing for Kaur to be released on humanitarian grounds.
Councilman Bhattarai called Kaur a respected, law-abiding resident of Hercules and urged federal authorities to treat her case with compassion.
Kaur’s detention highlights growing concerns about immigration enforcement practices that affect elderly and long-term residents with deep community ties.
Cover photo courtesy: Harjit Kaur’s family.
