New York: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have started visiting Gurudwaras in New York and New Jersey to hunt for illegal immigrants amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown, reports claimed. This has drawn criticism from many Sikh organizations.
According to reports, some gurdwaras may be used by Sikh separatists and illegal immigrants.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country,” a DHS spokesperson said, as quoted by PTI, adding that criminals would no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to evade arrest.
In response to such reports, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDF) has expressed concern over the policy change. “This troubling shift in policy comes in tandem with community reports of DHS agents visiting gurdwaras in the New York and New Jersey areas just days after the directive was issued,” the group wrote in the statement.
Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), claimed that the gurdwaras were more than just places of worship. “They are vital community centres that provide support, nourishment, and spiritual solace to Sikhs and the broader community. Targeting these spaces for enforcement actions threatens the sanctity of our faith and sends a chilling message to immigrant communities nationwide,” she said, as quoted by India Today.
The group stated that such a move harkened to dark periods in their collective memory when governments interfered in the ability of Sikhs to practice their faith freely.
