Allies Continue to Push for Accountability

(Washington, DC) — Earlier this week, the Sikh Coalition, our partners at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Arizona (ACLU-AZ), and other Sikh organizations including SALDEF, the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA), and United Sikhs met with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about updated guidance and training with respect to the treatment of Sikh migrants.

This training, which is in the process of being finalized, is intended to increase cultural competency for Border Patrol agents who encounter Sikh migrants in order to promote the dignified treatment of those Sikhs and their articles of faith. Earlier this year, the Sikh Coalition also shared guidance with CBP and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership on how to accommodate Sikhs in a manner that promotes common human decency and complies with federal law. This effort was also led by the Sikh Coalition, ACLU, and ACLU-AZ, with support from other organizations like Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Hindus for Human Rights, Muslim Advocates, and SALDEF; the guidance we provided meaningfully informs our government on work that remains unaddressed.

“This training is a tentative step in the right direction, but we must now see proper implementation, along with policy changes and accountability, in order to fully protect the rights of Sikhs and other religious migrants,” said Sim J. Singh Attariwala, Sikh Coalition Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager. “It is essential that CBP officers comply with federal law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of all individuals. We continue to believe that how we treat vulnerable migrants is not just a policy or political issue—it reflects who we are as a nation.”

This latest development is the result of advocacy by the Sikh Coalition, the ACLU, and ACLU-AZ dating back to August of last year, when media reports first emerged that CBP officers were seizing and throwing away the turbans of Sikh migrants at the U.S. southern border. We and our partners undertook multiple advocacy efforts to push for this guidance, including leading a letter signed by more than 160 civil rights, immigration, religious, advocacy, and other organizations to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; supporting a congressional letter from Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and Judy Chu (D-CA); and sending our own legal letters of complaint to CBP. We have also held numerous meetings with CBP, DHS, and other stakeholders to engage on this issue.

As a result of all of this advocacy, CBP leadership issued guidance directing Border Patrol agents to cease this practice of turban trashing and has sent several reminders to agents on the importance of treating religious articles of faith with dignity and respect. In addition, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility launched their own internal investigation, and the Sikh Coalition, the ACLU, and ACLU-AZ successfully spurred Congress to launch a separate inquiry from the Government Accountability Office. The results of those investigations are pending, and we welcome a full and thorough review to address remaining policy gaps and ensure accountability.

The Sikh Coalition will remain engaged with leadership at CBP and DHS, as well as investigators and members of Congress as the training is finalized to ensure that no Sikh or other individual of faith is stripped of their religious identity or wrongfully denied religious accommodations. As ever, we express our gratitude towards our partners in this work, as well as the Arizona advocates and sevadaars who have worked to address the immediate needs of Sikh migrants. Reporting violations along the border is still critical; if you know of someone who has experienced discrimination or had their religious rights violated by Border Patrol agents, please reach out to our team at legal@sikhcoalition.org.