New York: Immigration authorities in California have detained a 73-year-old Sikh woman, Harjit Kaur, during a routine check-in, igniting protests and raising concerns among her family and community members.

Kaur, who has resided in Northern California's East Bay for over three decades, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials earlier this week, as reported by a nonprofit news outlet.

Her family, along with hundreds of community supporters, organized a protest on Friday demanding her immediate release. Kaur was detained on Monday after being summoned to the San Francisco office to submit additional documentation.

According to reports, she was moved to a detention facility in Bakersfield.

Kaur, who is undocumented, arrived in the United States from India in 1992 as a single mother with two sons. Although her asylum application was denied in 2012, she has consistently reported to ICE in San Francisco every six months for over 13 years, as stated by her daughter-in-law, Manji Kaur.

The news outlet indicated that ICE had previously assured her that she could stay in the U.S. under supervision with work permits until her travel documents were processed.

The protest was organized by Kaur's family, Indivisible West Contra Costa County, and the Sikh Centre, with attendance from staff members of U.S. Representative John Garamendi, local officials, and other political figures.

Congressman Garamendi's office has reached out to ICE, requesting Kaur's reunion with her family.

In a statement, Garamendi criticized the administration's immigration policies, highlighting the detention of a respected community member with no criminal history who has complied with ICE regulations for years.

He pledged to support Kaur's case and her family. Local Council member Dilli Bhattarai expressed his commitment to pressuring the federal government for Kaur's release, emphasizing her positive contributions to the community.

Kaur, who has two grandsons and three granddaughters, worked for over 20 years at a local Indian clothing store.

Her granddaughter, Sukhdeep Kaur, described her as an 'independent, selfless, hard-working' individual and a 'mother figure' to many in the community.

'We are all just in a state of shock,' Sukhdeep Kaur remarked.

The family has expressed serious concerns about Kaur's health, citing her age and existing medical conditions such as thyroid disease, migraines, knee pain, and anxiety, which they believe could put her life at risk while in detention.