Fri Sep 26 05:50:04 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article rewrite formatted for The Hindu:

**Summary:**

A 73-year-old undocumented Sikh woman, Harjit Kaur, who resided in the United States for over 30 years, was deported to India by ICE. Despite faithfully reporting to ICE for over a decade, and having family and community advocating for her release, she was detained during a routine check-in, denied a final farewell to her family, and flown to India via Georgia and Armenia. Her lawyer claims she was mistreated during the process, including being made to sleep on the floor without a bed and denied a shower. Her deportation has sparked outrage and protests in the Sikh community in California, with concerns raised about her health and well-being.

**News Article:**

**The Hindu: World News**

**U.S. Deports Elderly Sikh Woman to India After 30 Years, Sparks Outrage**

**Chandigarh, September 26, 2025:** A 73-year-old undocumented Sikh woman, Harjit Kaur, has been deported to India after living in the United States for over three decades, triggering protests and condemnation from community members and advocates. Ms. Kaur, a resident of East Bay, California, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials during a routine check-in at the San Francisco office, according to her advocate, Deepak Ahluwalia.

“Bibi ji (Harjit Kaur) is on her way back to Punjab. She has already landed in India,” Mr. Ahluwalia stated in an Instagram post.

Ms. Kaur’s detention sparked immediate outcry. Her family, along with hundreds of community members, organized protests demanding her release. They claim ICE assured Ms. Kaur she could remain in the U.S. under supervision while awaiting travel documents.

Advocate Ahluwalia alleges Ms. Kaur was denied the opportunity to say goodbye to her relatives before being transported from Bakersfield to Los Angeles, then flown to Georgia before reaching New Delhi via Armenia on an ICE chartered plane. “Around 2 a.m. on Saturday (September 20), they took her from Bakersfield, drove her to Los Angeles in handcuffs, and put her on a flight to Georgia without even notifying the attorney, or giving any prior notice,” claimed Mr. Ahluwalia.

He also stated that Ms. Kaur, recovering from a double knee replacement surgery, was allegedly forced to sleep on the floor for nearly three days and denied access to a shower while detained in Georgia.

Ms. Kaur arrived in the U.S. in 1992 as a single mother and her asylum case was denied in 2012. Since then, she had reportedly reported to ICE every six months for over 13 years.

Her family members have also voiced concerns about her health, citing conditions like thyroid, migraine, knee pain, and anxiety, arguing that detention and deportation placed her life at risk. Sukhdeep Kaur, one of her granddaughters, described her as “independent, selfless, and hardworking.”

The deportation has reignited the debate on immigration policies and the treatment of long-term undocumented residents in the United States, particularly under the current administration.

The case is likely to further strain relations between the Indian community and U.S. immigration authorities.

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