Trump Administration 'Raids' Gurdwaras In US To Track Illegal Immigrants, Sikh Bodies Decry 'Threat' To Worship Places

On Sunday, representatives from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) focused on immigration enforcement, made visits to gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey, Hindustan Times reported.

Their purpose was to investigate the potential presence of "illegal" immigrants, called "illegal aliens" by the Trump administration, an action that sparked a strong response from Sikh organisations.

“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 was quoted as saying.

“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” the spokesperson added.

The Republican administration has withdrawn the guidelines set by the Biden administration, which prohibited enforcement actions in areas considered "sensitive". Such sensitive areas included places of worship such as gurdwaras and churches.

Previously, JD Vance, the Vice President, did not dismiss the potential for immigration raids on religious establishments, stating that these actions are not solely associated with immigration.

“If you have a person who is convicted of a violent crime, whether they are an illegal immigrant or not, you have to go and get that person to protect the public safety,” Vance said.

The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) voiced serious apprehension regarding the Trump administration's decision to revoke former guidelines on "sensitive" areas.

“We are deeply alarmed by the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to eliminate protections for sensitive areas and then target places of worship like gurdwaras,” SALDEF executive director Kiran Kaur Gill was quoted as saying by PTI.

"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," SALDEF said.

Gill expressed that such actions posed a threat to the "sanctity" of the Sikh religion and conveyed a "chilling message" to immigrant populations in the US.

The Sikh Coalition expressed concerns that the recent directive could curtail Sikhs' freedom to congregate and engage with each other according to their religious practices.

They found the potential for their gurdwaras to be under government scrutiny and susceptible to armed police raids, with or without legal permissions, to be incompatible with the principles of the Sikh faith.

“If Sikhs—whether documented or undocumented—are concerned with gurdwara raids and surveillance, gurdwaras may well be impacted by decreased attendance, and thus an inability to carry out essential religious practices in a meaningful manner,” Sikh Coalition added.