Harjit Kaur, 71, who was recently deported from the United States, said she was handcuffed, had her feet tied, and served food she could not eat as a vegetarian during her detention. She said the experience was distressing and expressed a strong desire to reunite with her family in the US.

Harjit Kaur said she has lived in the US since 1991, but her deportation proceedings, which began in 2012 due to the lack of a passport, escalated recently. “I don’t know the reason. I used to go for my attendance every six months. On September 8, I was arrested. I was not told any reason and wasn’t allowed to meet my family, even though they had tickets to see me,” she said.

Despite holding a work permit and other necessary documents, Kaur was detained with several other women. “When I was arrested, three people were around me and locked me in a cold room. In the morning, I was taken to another location, handcuffed, and my feet were tied,” she said.

She added that the food provided was unsuitable for her as a vegetarian, though she was not handcuffed during the flight back to India. “My children and grandchildren are all in the US. I want to go back. The past year has been very difficult,” she said, blaming recent US policies under Donald Trump for the strict treatment of deportees, including truck drivers.

Kaur recounted being held in Bakersfield for 8–10 days before being taken to Arizona and then flown to Delhi. “Their behaviour was very bad. My children over there will do something; I cannot do anything,” she added.

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