Chandigarh: Harjit Kaur, 73, who was deported from the United States after living there for over 33 years, described her traumatic experience in detention. “I was handcuffed and fed cold and non-vegetarian food despite being a vegetarian,” she told media.
Kaur, who moved to California with her two sons in 1992, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Francisco on September 8 and deported on September 22.
She spent eight days in a detention centre, where she endured poor conditions, including inadequate bedding and lack of medicines for her knee pain, migraine, and blood pressure.
Her grandchildren, still in the US, have been calling her frequently, worried about her safety and well-being. Kaur is currently staying with a distant relative in Mohali. She has appealed to the Punjab and central governments to help reunite her with her family in the US.
Punjabi immigrants in the US, who fondly called her Dadi, have begun advocating for her return, highlighting her decades-long contribution to the community.
