The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) strongly opposes the Executive Order issued by President Trump on Monday. Key components of the previous Executive Order persist, particularly the provisions continuing to restrict immigration to the U.S. from six Arab and Muslim-majority countries, and suspension of the refugee program.
Despite its minor tweaks, the new Executive Order remains a Muslim ban, and continues to discriminate against people based on their religious beliefs. These anti-refugee, anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim policies perpetuate racial and religious profiling and contribute to violence against these communities–an unfortunate and tragic backlash we have already witnessed across the country.
READ: Sikh man’s shooting in Washington investigated as hate crime (CNN)
READ: He yelled ‘Get out of my country,’ witnesses say, and then shot 2 men from India, killing one (Washington Post)
Immigrants and refugees are a fully integrated part of our local communities and the national fabric of our society. They are our family members, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. They carry the same shared American values and beliefs.
For this reason, SALDEF will continue to stand against any order or legislation that targets a specific group of people or goes against the guaranteed protections in our Constitution by: harnessing the power of our communities and partnering with our base of allies, educating our community on their rights through Know Your Rights Forums, empowering Sikh youth to become activists and community leaders through SikhLEAD, and holding our elected officials accountable for their actions.
To take immediate action, contact your Members of Congress to express your strong opposition to the anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, and anti-Muslim actions and demand they release a public statement.
Incident Reporting: We encourage the Sikh American community to continue to report any bias or hate incidents to SALDEF.