Mohali, September 28 — Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old woman from Punjab, has been deported from the United States after more than three decades of residence. Forced to leave behind her children and grandchildren, she returned to India last week with no property, no savings, and no permanent place to stay.
Kaur had gone to the US with her two sons in 1992. According to her family, she had been living legally with work permits and documents, but despite repeated applications, she was never granted citizenship. In 2012, she received her first refusal from US immigration authorities. She continued to report for routine check-ins, until one such visit recently resulted in her sudden arrest.
“They locked me in a cold room. I asked for something to cover myself, but they only gave me a piece of aluminium foil,” Kaur told reporters after arriving in Punjab. She said she was kept in detention for ten days under harsh conditions, surviving only on chips and biscuits because she could not eat the meat-based meals provided. Despite her age and medical complications, she alleged that officials denied her access to required medicines.
Shackled during deportation
Recounting her ordeal, Kaur said she was handcuffed and shackled during her transfer to a detention centre in Arizona. “Where will a 73-year-old woman run? Yet they treated me like a criminal,” she recalled. Her relatives in Punjab have condemned the treatment, calling it a violation of basic human rights.
Kulwant Singh, one of her relatives, said, “It is painful to see her condition. Deporting her at this age and keeping her in shackles is wrong. The US government did not treat her with dignity.”
Return to a changed Punjab
Back in Punjab, Kaur finds herself in a drastically changed landscape. “In these 33 years, everything changed — my parents passed away, my brother passed away, and I missed all of it. Today, I have no house, no land, no money,” she said. For now, she is moving between her siblings’ homes in Mohali, uncertain about her future.
Her story also highlights the broader reality of elderly deportees returning to India after decades abroad. With no assets and limited support systems, many face difficulties rebuilding their lives.
Kaur’s deportation is a reminder of the shifting US immigration landscape. Once considered the “land of immigration,” she says, America has changed. “People are still spending lakhs to go there, but today’s America is not what it was,” she added.
For now, her biggest question remains unanswered: where will she live in Punjab?