A bold statement echoed through the Capitol as Democratic Rep. John Garamendi left his State of the Union guest spot empty, a tribute to 73-year-old Sikh grandmother Harjeet Kaur—deported from the US after decades of residence. The act draws sharp focus to immigration enforcement’s brutal underbelly.
Since the 1990s, Kaur resided legally in Garamendi’s California district, her 2012 asylum denial notwithstanding. She checked in biannually with San Francisco ICE for 13 years. ‘This seat honors Harjeet Kaur, 73-year-old dadi deported midnight-style,’ the congressman declared. ‘It’s for her and all victims of Trump’s detention machine—detained, isolated, deceased. This void embodies their suffering.’
September 8, 2025: Routine visit turns arrest at Bakersfield facility, then Mesa Verde. Dawn of the 19th: Shackled dash to LA, secret Georgia flight, instant charter to India—no family notice. Vanished 24+ hours, bypassing arranged commercial travel.
Trump vowed criminal roundups, yet targeted this spotless-record elder, per Garamendi, scarring countless homes. Office reports paint detention hell: no beds/chairs, concrete floors, chains en route, faith-ignoring non-veg meals, shower curbs, med withholdings (thyroid, migraines, knee op), ignored pleas for care. Day-long fast ended with ice bowl; parched from water denial.
Reunited distantly with kin in India, Kaur battles ongoing ailments sans support network. Amid US immigration’s political minefield—Trump years amplified for Indian nationals—Garamendi’s move spotlights reform needs. Beyond optics, it challenges: How many more empty seats before policy pivots to mercy? Kaur’s endurance indicts a system failing its human core.