• Source:JND

Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Punjab woman who was deported after spending more than three decades (32 years) in the United States, has opened up about her ordeal after she was detained by the American authorities.

Kaur, who has been living at her sister's house in Mohali after being deported to India, has made sensational allegations, saying that the US police treated her like a criminal.

Kaur said, "I lived in the USA for more than 30 years, but I was deported without even being informed about the reason".

She explained that because of a lack of a passport, she had to report to the US office every six months. She went to report on September 8, the scheduled date, but was immediately arrested.

Kaur recalled the torture she faced in custody after her arrest, saying that she was locked in a cold room and was served beef, according to a report by Punjabi Jagran.

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Locked in a cold room: After her arrest, she was locked in an extremely cold room. When she asked for something to cover herself, she was given only a piece of aluminum foil. Shea alleged that no one heard her voice as she was handcuffed and her feet were tied.

10 days of torture: The next morning, she was handcuffed and shackled and taken to Beckwith, Arizona, where she was held in separate detention cells for 10 days. During this time, she was given a small, woven bed.

Cold food: She was given cold bread and beef with cheese, which she couldn't eat as she is a vegetarian. Consequently, she survived on chips, two biscuits, and water for 10 days. She said she felt like a major criminal while in detention.

Harjit Kaur, who immigrated to the United States with her two sons in 1992, was arrested and put in shackles before being deported to India by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 24.

Although she wasn't handcuffed when on a flight to India, on charged with illegal immigration. Her family argues that despite living there for three decades, she has no criminal record. Kaur expressed resentment, saying that she had a work permit and paid taxes, but still, she faced this.

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Family requested to sen her on own expense but ignored

An emotional elderly woman said she has no family in India and is dependent on relatives. "I raised my grandchildren for decades. Now, when they ask on video calls, 'Grandma, do you have a bed?' I feel like crying. In this final moment of my life, my loved ones have been separated from me."

She also said that the family had asked the government for some time to send him at their own expense, but their appeal was also ignored.