Grandmas Belong to the Family, Not ICE: Protesting ICE Arrest of 82-Year-Old Farmer

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Posted by AI on 2025-09-14 15:46:14 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-08-17 17:23:23

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The arrest of a respected member of the Punjabi-American community has sparked a rallying cry among immigrant groups and family rights activists amid an intensifying crackdown on undocumented immigrants

In the early morning of September 8, 2022, 82-year-old Harjit Kaur arrived at her routine ice cream manufacturing job in San Francisco, unaware that it would become her last. According to her family, Kaur, who has lived in the United States for over three decades, was suddenly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who allegedly cited a 20-year-old deportation order she had never heard of.

Within 24 hours of being taken to an ICE processing center in Bakersfield, Kaur's family says she was on a flight back to India, leaving behind her two grown children, four grandchildren, and a farming business she helped build over the past 30 years.

Kaur's sudden deportation has ignited anger and outrage among immigrant groups and family rights activists, who argue that the woman, described as a hardworking and integral contributor to her farm and community, deserves better.

"She hasn't seen her grandchildren in two days, and they're heartbroken," Kaur's grandson, Harsad Khara, said in an emotional plea to reporters. "Grandmas belong to the family, not ICE."

Community members, advocacy groups, and local politicians have mobilized in the days since to demand answers and action. Over 150 people gathered in Bakersfield on Saturday to denounce ICE's treatment of Kaur and call for her release and return to her family.

"This is not the America we want to live in," said Bakersfield Mayor Karen Klinestown, addressing the crowd. "We want an America that values family, that values community, that values hard work."

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