February 16, 2024 (Washington, DC) — On February 12, a report entitled From Hope to Heartbreak: The Disturbing Reality of Border Patrol’s Confiscation of Migrants’ Belongings was launched by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU-AZ, the Sikh Coalition, and additional partners. The comprehensive report—and a subsequent briefing to members of Congress and their staffs in Washington, DC, on February 15—detailed the harrowing stories of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confiscating personal items, including articles of faith, from migrants at our nation’s southern border.
As a reminder, in the summer of 2022, reports emerged that CBP officers were seizing and destroying the dastaars of Sikh migrants. The Sikh Coalition joined with the ACLU, ACLU-AZ, and other partners for a range of advocacy work in response to this unacceptable behavior, including sending letters to and holding meetings with the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), organizing an sign-on letter with more than 160 advocacy groups, supporting an inquiry from members of Congress, and more. Most recently, the Sikh Coalition joined other Sikh organizations to review new training materials from CBP and provide feedback on how its officers and agents can improve their understanding of the Sikh faith and better accommodate the needs of Sikh migrants per the requirements of the law. While CBP has been receptive to engaging in conversation, we still believe that substantive changes are required to protect Sikh migrants’ rights.
“Unfortunately, the seizure and destruction of Sikh dastaars is just one example of the egregious practices of CBP with regard to migrants’ personal property,” said Sahel Kaur, Sikh Coalition Senior Staff Attorney, who joined the ACLU, ACLU-AZ, and our other partners for the Capitol Hill briefing yesterday. “We are grateful to all of our allies for embarking on this shared effort, and we look forward to continuing to work together to fight for the policy change outlined in From Hope to Heartbreak that will better safeguard the basic rights of migrants.”
As a reminder, the Sikh Coalition does not take individual immigration cases, but we have embarked on specific work to ensure that Sikh migrants are treated with dignity in U.S. detention centers and provided resources about the asylum system to Sikh asylees and their attorneys. To learn more about our positions and work on immigration issues, read our community FAQ on these topics. The Sikh Coalition remains grateful to our allies at the ACLU and the ACLU-AZ, other partner organizations, and all sevadaars working hard to address the needs of Sikh migrants. We will continue to serve as a resource to members of the press who keep reporting on this important issue and provide updates on this work.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.