To Whom It May Concern:
Earlier today, the Sikh Coalition sent out an email focused on our increasing immigration policy work, including our new Immigration Policy Principles and Community FAQ. Upon reflection and conversation with interfaith and civil rights ecosystem partners, we feel compelled to expand upon one of the items discussed in those communications: The Trump Administration’s recent decision to rescind the decades-old Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy of not permitting immigration enforcement actions at so-called “protected areas”—including houses of worship like Sikh gurdwaras.
Gurdwaras are sacred and sovereign institutions. They are places that Sikhs gather for sangat (fellowship and assembly) and pangat (to share in a communal meal). The Nishaan Sahib (Sikh flag) flies outside every gurdwara and is viewed as a beacon of refuge and hope. The Nishaan Sahib signals that anyone from any religion, community, or background is welcome in the gurdwara and will be served with hospitality, or given help or shelter in times of need
The Trump Administration’s decision to rescind the DHS policy on “protected areas” (which also included hospitals, schools, social service providers, and more) opens the door to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting surveillance, investigations, arrests, and raids at gurdwaras. The administration falsely characterized this guideline as originating with the Biden Administration, when in fact DHS has previously asserted this policy in 2011, 2013, and 2021. In any case, the potential results of this reversal for our sangat are severe.
The idea that our gurdwaras could be subject to government surveillance and raids by armed law enforcement with or without warrants is unacceptable to the Sikh faith tradition. It will burden religious exercise by limiting the ability of Sikhs to gather and associate with one another in accordance with our faith. It also harkens to dark periods in our collective memory when governments interfered in the ability of Sikhs to practice our faith freely—with deadly consequences.
The Sikh worldview centers around the idea of Ik Onkar (oneness); Sikhs believe that people of all faiths worship one Divine Being who created this world and lives within it. This notion of divine presence leads to the belief that the Divine is equally present in all people, and that, therefore, every human being is equal in the eyes of God. From the Sikh perspective, there are no theological grounds to discriminate against, or limit religious practice for, people on the basis of their social identities, which includes their immigration status.
Additionally, Sikh scripture is at the center of Sikh life, and it is placed literally and figuratively at the center of the gurdwara space. The entire Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture) is written as poetry and music, so the majority of a worship service is conducted in communal singing. Community members and musicians lead the congregation in singing and prayer, and often community members will take a few moments to explain basic ideas and lessons from the selections. After the ceremony, the congregants gather together in langar (a shared meal). Everyone sits on the floor as a sign of equality, and people of all backgrounds and identity groups are welcome to join.
Because the Sikh faith does not have an ordained clergy, any person from the congregation may lead religious services and assist in preparing langar. Both of these acts, along with worship itself, is fundamentally a communal effort; Sikhs require the presence of other Sikhs—our sangat—to meaningfully express our faith. All Sikhs are expected to serve humanity while also cultivating their own spirituality. Sikh philosophy calls on every Sikh to be both internally focused while also contributing to the world around them. The Sikh faith rejects asceticism, and Sikhs are called on to connect with all of humanity, and ultimately, with the Divine. Even the Amrit ceremony, a formal initiation into the Khalsa, requires the presence of other initiated Sikhs. Without sangat, none of this is possible.
In short, 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.
As a final note, the Sikh community knows all too well the impact of government interference on religious exercise. Throughout our history, we have felt the pain of having the sanctity of our gurdwaras violated, and the chilling effect of the government intruding into those spaces, sometimes with violence. In the lead up to the Sikh Genocide of 1984, the Indian military conducted Operation Blue Star, a coordinated assault on Darbar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) and dozens of other gurdwaras throughout Punjab that claimed the lives of thousands of Sikhs. Today, in the United States, there are gurdwaras that have experienced immigration pressure as a form of transnational repression: individuals claiming to work for the government have entered gurdwaras, attempted to intimidate and threaten religious leaders, and demanded contact information for gurdwara committee members. Those committee members have, in turn, been contacted by individuals offering them favors or threatening them with adverse immigration consequences,depending on their personal political views and willingness to collaborate on unspecified tasks.
Ultimately, gurdwaras are central to all major life events for Sikhs. Birth, marriage, and death are all marked with communal worship and langar, and all of these ceremonies—and the very concept of what it means for a building to be a gurdwara—require that all people must be welcomed in the space without fear, including fear of government interference and law enforcement raids. As noted by our partners at the Interfaith Center of New York, the rescission of the protected areas policy “is a violation of religious freedom, the public good, and common sense.”
For all these reasons, we insist that this policy change be rejected and resisted by all people of faith and conscience, so that we all continue to practice our faith freely and fearlessly.
In Chardi Kala (the Sikh spirit of eternal optimism),
The Sikh Coalition Team