US targets gurdwaras in New York, New Jersey in hunt for ‘criminal aliens’. What Sikh bodies said

Some of the Gurdwaras successful New York and New Jersey, the DHS believes, are allegedly being utilized arsenic a hub by Sikh separatists on with amerciable and undocumented immigrants, quality bureau PTI reported.

“This enactment empowers the brave men and women successful CBP and ICE to enforce our migration laws and drawback transgression aliens— including murderers and rapists—who person illegally travel into our country,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said.

“Criminals volition nary longer beryllium capable to fell successful America’s schools and churches to debar arrest. The Trump medication volition not necktie the hands of our brave instrumentality enforcement, and alternatively trusts them to usage communal sense,” the spokesperson said.

Sikh organisations rise concerns implicit argumentation shift

The determination drew a crisp absorption from immoderate Sikh organisations which spot specified actions arsenic a “threat to the sanctity of their faith.”

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) issued a connection expressing interest implicit the determination to revoke guidelines that had antecedently restricted migration enforcement actions successful “sensitive areas,” including places of worship.

“This troubling displacement successful argumentation comes successful tandem with assemblage reports of DHS agents visiting gurdwaras successful the New York and New Jersey areas conscionable days aft the directive was issued,” SALDEF said.

“We are profoundly alarmed by the Department of Homeland Security’s determination to destruct protections for delicate areas and past people places of worship similar gurdwaras,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, enforcement manager of SALDEF. Gill reiterated that gurdwaras are much than conscionable places of worship; they service arsenic assemblage centres providing support, nourishment, and spiritual solace to Sikhs and the broader community.

I recognize these are uncertain and frightening times, peculiarly for our migrant communities. As the lad of immigrants, I profoundly stress with the challenges galore are present facing.

Hoboken stands agreed successful enactment of our neighbors, careless of wherever you were calved oregon who… pic.twitter.com/7tkeCULoWD

— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) January 25, 2025

“Targeting these spaces for enforcement actions threatens the sanctity of our religion and sends a chilling connection to immigrant communities nationwide,” Gill said.

The Sikh Coalition said that the Trump administration’s determination to revoke the DHS argumentation connected “protected areas,” which included hospitals, schools, and societal work providers, paves the mode for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to transportation retired surveillance, investigations, arrests, and raids astatine gurdwaras.

“The thought that our gurdwaras could beryllium taxable to authorities surveillance and raids by equipped instrumentality enforcement with oregon without warrants is unacceptable to the Sikh religion tradition. It volition load spiritual workout by limiting the quality of Sikhs to stitchery and subordinate with 1 different successful accordance with our faith,” Sikh Coalition said.

“It besides harkens to acheronian periods successful our corporate representation erstwhile governments interfered successful the quality of Sikhs to signifier our religion freely—with deadly consequences,” it said.

“If Sikhs—whether documented oregon undocumented—are acrophobic with gurdwara raids and surveillance, gurdwaras whitethorn good beryllium impacted by decreased attendance, and frankincense an inability to transportation retired indispensable spiritual practices successful a meaningful manner,” said Sikh Coalition.

(With inputs from PTI)