 "Big action against Punjabis who arrived in America on donkeys, force reached Gurdwaras…")
Law enforcement officials from the US Department of Homeland Security (US Homeland Security) have begun visiting shrines in New York and New Jersey to check for the presence of illegal immigrants. On the other hand, some Sikh organizations have reacted sharply against this action, which have termed such actions as a threat to the sanctity of their religion.
Some Sikh organizations have reacted strongly to this move, who have described it as a threat to the sanctity of their religion. It is being claimed that some shrines in New York and New Jersey are used by illegal immigrants. Hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman rescinded the Biden administration’s directive in a directive that would have restricted the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). was made to prevent action in so-called ‘sensitive’ areas.
These ‘sensitive’ areas included places of worship such as shrines and churches. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said, ‘This action gives CBP and ICE personnel the authority to enforce our immigration laws and apprehend criminals who have entered our country illegally.’ “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches,” the spokesman said.
Sikh organizations expressed concern
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) in a statement expressed deep concern over the directive to rescind guidelines not allowing entry into “sensitive areas” such as religious places. “This change in policy is alarming,” SALDEF said in a statement. Reports indicate that DHS agents visited shrines in New York and New Jersey just days after the directive was issued. “We are concerned about this decision by DHS,” said SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill. They removed security from sensitive areas and then targeted shrines.
Gill said that Gurdwaras are not just places of worship; These are important community centers that provide support, nourishment and spiritual comfort to Sikhs and other communities. “Targeting these places threatens the sanctity of our religion and sends a frightening message to migrant communities across the country,” he said.
The Sikh Coalition said the Trump administration had rescinded the Protected Areas Act, which allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to conduct surveillance, inspections and raids at shrines. Arrests can also be made from there. The Sikh Coalition said: “The idea that our shrines could be subject to government surveillance and raids by armed law enforcement officers is unacceptable to the Sikh faith tradition. “It will disrupt religious practices and limit the ability of Sikhs to gather with each other and practice our faith.”