The automatic doors of the Target store in Schaumburg, Illinois, whooshed open just like they had for thousands of customers on the morning of 1 May. But for one visitor from India, those doors would soon close on her freedom, her future, and her faith in second chances.
Jimisha Avlani had been in America for less than a week, staying with her sister's family in the suburbs of Chicago. Back home in Mumbai, she worked in marketing for a company whose name now seems like it belonged to someone else's life. That Thursday morning, she made a list on her phone: gifts for colleagues, treats for her parents, and American brands her friends had requested. Normal tourist shopping. Nothing more.
