Overview
- Harjit Kaur was taken into custody on Sept. 8 at ICE’s San Francisco office and transferred the next day to the Mesa Verde facility in Bakersfield, according to her family.
- Her relatives say the longtime Hercules resident has no criminal record and has reported to ICE every six months for about 13 years following a 2012 asylum denial.
- An estimated 100–200 people rallied Friday in El Sobrante, organized by her family with Indivisible West Contra Costa and the Sikh Center, as local officials’ staff looked on.
- Rep. John Garamendi’s office has submitted an inquiry seeking her release and criticized the detention as misplaced priorities, and Assembly member Alex Lee voiced support for the family.
- The family reports health concerns and limited access to medication in custody and has launched bringharjithome.com, while ICE has not provided a detailed public explanation.