US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to screen illegal immigrants. This has drawn strong reactions from some Sikh organizations. Sikh organizations have called such action a threat to the sanctity of their religion. It is believed that some immigrants living without valid documents use gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey.
Within hours of Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Benjamin Huffman issued a directive rescinding the Joe Biden administration’s guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement operations that create obstacles to law enforcement in or near so-called ‘sensitive’ areas. These ‘sensitive’ areas also include places of worship such as gurdwaras and churches.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, “The accused will no longer be able to hide in schools and churches across the US to avoid arrest.”
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDF) in a statement expressed serious concern over the order to revoke guidelines designating ‘sensitive areas’. “We are deeply concerned by the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to remove security for sensitive areas and then target religious sites like gurdwaras,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, the organization’s executive director. She said gurdwaras are not just places of worship, but important community centers. Such actions threaten the sanctity of religion.
