'No one should go through what I had to', says 73-yr-old woman deported from US after 33 years

Chandigarh: A 73-year-old woman, who was deported from the US recently after spending more than three decades there, on Saturday said no one should go through the ordeal she went through, and expressed her desire to be reunited with her family in America. Kaur, who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum in the US, was deported to India after being detained by immigration authorities in California, her advocate said earlier. She was detained by immigration authorities in California on September 8 after she went for a routine check-in, triggering protests and concerns among her family and community members. Kaur reached the US in 1992 as a single mother with two sons. Her asylum case was denied in 2012, but since then, she "faithfully reported" to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Francisco every six months for more than 13 years, her daughter-in-law Manji said after her deportation.

Speaking to reporters at her sister’s house in Mohali, Kaur, who hails from Pangota village in Tarn Taran district, said, “I used to go there (ICE office) to mark my presence every six months. On September 8, I went there to mark my presence, but they arrested me without specifying anything.” Kaur also said she was sent back without being given the chance to even say goodbye to her close family members. “My family sought permission from the concerned authorities to bring me to India, and even showed a flight ticket. But they did not budge," Kaur said. “I had a work permit, an ID and a licence. I had everything,” she rued. Asked how the immigration authorities treated her, she said with tears in her eyes, “What can I say? No one should go through the ordeal I had to go through.” Sharing details, Kaur said that after her detention in San Francisco, she was taken to a room. “They took my photograph and kept me in the room for the entire night. It was cold, and I couldn’t even lie down,” said Kaur, who had undergone a double knee replacement surgery. “I was cuffed and shackled when they took me from San Francisco to Bakersfield,” she said. Asked if she was allowed to take her medicines, Kaur shook her head and said, “All my pleas fell on deaf ears.” “I couldn’t even eat the food they gave because I am a vegetarian. They served beef, which I don’t eat,” Kaur said.

According to Kaur, she was deported along with 132 deportees on board the plane, including 15 Colombian nationals. Asked if she was cuffed on the plane, Kaur said, “No. There were two good officers on board who did not cuff me, although the other deportees were cuffed and shackled.” “My entire family is settled in the US, including my children, granddaughters and grandsons. When I hear their voice, I cannot speak a word. I looked after them,” Kaur said. Asked if she would like to return to the US, Kaur said, “Definitely. My entire family is out there.” She also held US President Donald Trump solely responsible for the deportation of a large number of Indians in recent months. “I have been in the US since 1992, but I never saw any such action by the authorities. Nobody was asked to go back,” Kaur said. Following her detention, there were protests in California with demonstrators demanding Kaur’s release with placards reading “Hands off our grandma” and “Bring grandma home”.