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    Newsmakers of the Week                                                   JUNE 12, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 37

                                    MANAV SHAH                                                                 ICE

                    Golfer qualifies for maiden                                      Agency arrests Indian national

                                    U.S. Open                                                       in Los Angeles

                                                                                      os Angeles: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Los An-
                                                                                      geles on May 23 (local time) reported the arrest of Parminderpal Singh,
                  os Angeles: Indian-American golfer Manav Shah described his qualifi-  L26, an Indian national, on Thursday (local time).
                  cation for the upcoming U.S. Open 2026 as a “dream come true” after
                                                                                    In a post on X, the agency said, “ICE Los Angeles arrested Parminder-
            Lbecoming the first Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) player to secure   pal Singh, 26, of India, on May 21. Singh’s criminal record includes vehicle
            a place in a Major championship since the league’s inception last year.  theft, grand theft, trespassing, and vandalism. He is in ICE custody pending
                The 34-year-old will make his maiden Major appearance at the iconic
            Shinnecock Hills Golf Club from June 18, capping off a journey built on per-  removal.”
                                                                                    According to the official statement, Singh has a prior criminal record
            severance, discipline, hard work and an enduring connection to his Indian   that includes vehicle theft, grand theft, trespassing, and vandalism. ICE stat-
            roots.                                                              ed that he is currently in custody pending removal proceedings.
                “It’s been a roller coaster ride. I was pretty emotional as soon as I saw
                                                                                    Earlier in September 2025, Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old Sikh woman who
            that it was final, that I had qualified. It’s been amazing,” Shah said after the   had spent three decades in the United States, shared her ordeal after she
            US Open qualification.                                              was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and
                “All the support I’ve had has really been heart-warming, and it’s been the
            beginning of a dream come true for sure,” he added.                 deported to India.
                                                                                    She described her ordeal with the ICE. “Their behaviour was very bad.
                Born to Indian-origin parents and raised in Bakersfield, California, Shah
            began playing golf at the age of six. What started as father-son bonding soon   I was arrested on 8 September... I was arrested and taken to Bakersfield,
                                                                                where I stayed for 8-10 days. I was then taken to Arizona, from where I was
            became a defining force in his life.                                sent to Delhi...”
                “My dad fell in love with the game when he moved here from India. We
            would always go play, and I kind of grew up in a tough neighbourhood for a   She told that she was given chips and cookies for food.
                                                                                    Kaur, who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum in the US, was arrested
            while here in the US. So, it was sort of a place for me to stay out of trouble,”   by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on September
            Shah said.                                                          8. She moved to California in 1991 with her two young sons and lived and
                “It obviously taught me a lot of great things about life and honesty, disci-
            pline, and hard work. So, I was very blessed that I got to start in that way with   worked there while making several unsuccessful asylum attempts in the US.
                                                                                    She was moved to a holding facility in Georgia on September 19 and de-
            golf early,” he said.
                                                                                ported to India on September 22, never getting to visit her US home or bid a
                                                                                proper farewell to family and friends.
            Shah, who played collegiate golf for UCLA and graduated with a          Harjit Kaur had filed multiple appeals all the way up to the Ninth Circuit

            degree in Political Science in 2015, has spent the last decade      Court of Appeals and lost each time.
                                                                                    During the weekly media briefing in September, the Ministry of External
            travelling across continents as a professional golfer. He has won  Affairs highlighted that 2,417 Indian nationals have been deported or repatri-
            eight professional titles globally, with his biggest breakthrough   ated from the United States since January 2025. MEA Spokesperson Randhir
                                                                                Jaiswal reiterated India’s firm stance against illegal migration, emphasising
            coming at the 2022 Quito Open on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.        commitment to promoting legal pathways for migration.
                                                                                    “The number of deportations that have happened from the United States
                The victory made him only the second Indian-American golfer to win a   since January 2017: 2417 Indian nationals are deported or repatriated from
            PGA Tour-sanctioned event after Arjun Atwal.                        the United States... We want to promote legal pathways of migration. India
                “Winning  a  PGA  Tour-sanctioned  event  always  holds  a  little  more   stands against illegal migration,” Jaiswal said.
            weight and value. That was eventually a springboard for me to play on the
            Korn Ferry Tour the year after. So, that win set up a lot of good things to   To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
            come,” Shah said.                                                                     our website www.TheIndianEYE.com

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