'Hands off our grandma': Who is Harjit Kaur and why her ICE detention has sparked outrage in California | Explained

A 73-year-old Indian-origin Sikh woman, who has spent more than three decades in California, is at the centre of a growing immigration controversy. Harjit Kaur, a long-time resident of Hercules in the East Bay, was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 8 after what was supposed to be a routine check-in at the agency’s San Francisco office. The next day she was moved to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Centre in Bakersfield.

Her detention has shocked her family, neighbours and local leaders. Hundreds have now joined protests demanding that she be released, calling her “everyone’s grandma.”

A respected figure in her community

Kaur came to the United States from India in 1992 as a single mother raising two sons. For more than 20 years, she worked as a seamstress at a family-run shop in Berkley. Friends and neighbours describe her as independent and deeply involved in her community.

Her granddaughter Sukhdeep Kaur told Richmondside, “She’s not a criminal. And she’s not only my grandma. She is everyone’s grandma. Everyone looks up to her as a mother figure… she is independent, selfless, hard-working.”

Hercules City Council member Dilli Bhattarai echoed that sentiment, saying, “She is not doing any harm to the community. She is an abiding constituent just like us."

No criminal record

According to her family, Kaur has no criminal record and has “faithfully reported” to ICE every six months for over 13 years. Her asylum plea was rejected in 2012 and since then she has been under agency supervision while officials tried to obtain travel papers from India.

Her daughter-in-law Manjit Kaur told protesters that Harjit had repeatedly tried to secure the documents herself. “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.

'Hands off our grandma'

On Friday about 200 people rallied in El Sobrante holding placards that read “Hands Off Our Grandma” and “Bring Grandma Home.” The protest was led by Kaur’s family, the Sikh Centre and the local advocacy group Indivisible West Contra Costa.

State Senator Jesse Arreguin voiced his support online. He 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.”

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. https://t.co/jGS9FiJbJI

— State Senator Jesse Arreguín (@JesseArreguin) September 13, 2025

A representative from Congressman John Garamendi’s office also joined the protest.

Concerns about her health

Kaur’s relatives say she suffers from thyroid problems, chronic knee pain, migraines and anxiety. They worry she is not receiving the medication she needs in detention. “When we did hear from her, she was crying and begging us for help," the family said in a statement to ABC7 News.

Pressure on immigration authorities

Congressman Garamendi called the detention “misplaced priorities” and urged ICE to focus on high-risk individuals instead of elderly residents with deep roots in their communities. “President (Donald) 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,” he said.

“Our office will do everything possible to support her case and her family,” he added.

Bhattarai said he is exploring ways the city can press the federal government to secure Kaur’s release.

A family waiting for answers

For now, Harjit Kaur remains in the Mesa Verde detention centre as her family campaigns for her freedom. “We are all just in a state of shock,” Sukhdeep Kaur said.

To many of her neighbours and supporters, the case has become a test of fairness and compassion in US immigration enforcement.