In moments of challenge, communities show their true strength.
Across the country right now, neighbors are stepping up to protect one another, uphold dignity, and demand accountability from those in power. This is exactly the kind of collective action that creates lasting change and we’re grateful to have you as part of this movement.
Below, we share critical updates on immigration enforcement, religious liberty, and language access, along with concrete ways you can take action today.
On Immigration
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What We Are Seeing Nationwide |
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Everyone deserves to feel safe. Across the country, aggressive immigration enforcement continues to strain community trust and jeopardize safety creating fear and instability in communities nationwide. The numbers tell a troubling story: 📢 Over 70,000 people are currently in ICE detention—a historic high 📢 Record deaths in ICE custody, including multiple deaths in the first weeks of 2026 alone 📢 At least one death has been ruled a likely homicide by detention guards, according to independent reports and local officials Beyond detention centers, ICE and Border Patrol agents are conducting enforcement operations in neighborhoods, workplaces, and homes—tearing families apart and undermining the community trust that keeps everyone safe. As harm escalates, so must our response. SALDEF is deploying a multi pronged approach to demand accountability and protect impacted communities. |
Demanding Justice After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting
From Minneapolis to Chicago to Los Angeles, people are being killed on the streets, families are being separated, and communities are being destabilized.
We joined Governor Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minneapolis City Council members in condemning these actions and calling for full transparency and accountability. Read our statement here.
Challenging Secret Police Tactics
“When law enforcement officers conceal their identities, or when non-officers impersonate police, community members who already face religious profiling, language barriers, or immigration vulnerability are placed at serious risk.”
– Kiran Kaur Gill, SALDEF Executive Director
In January, SALDEF filed a federal court brief in partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California and Bird Marella, Rhow, Lincenberg, Drooks & Nessim, LLP, opposing the use of masked federal agents and concealed badges during immigration raids. Our brief defends two California laws designed to protect public safety: SB 627 (the No Secret Police Act) and SB 805(the No Vigilantes Act).
Standing With a National Coalition to Rein In ICE
SALDEF joined more than 500 civil and human rights organizations in urging Congress to reject increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol and to include meaningful guardrails and accountability measures in any Department of Homeland Security appropriations.
Why This Matters: These developments directly affect our community through workplace raids, border profiling, and the climate of fear pervading our neighborhoods.
On Religious Liberty
Major Relief for Sikh Religious Workers
SALDEF welcomes a new regulatory change from the Department of Homeland Security that provides meaningful relief for R-1 visa religious workers. This ruling comes at a critical time, as green card backlogs for religious workers now stretch for decades. This rule eliminates the one-year waiting period that previously forced religious workers to spend extensive time outside the United States between R-1 visas.
What’s Next: While we celebrate this regulatory progress, SALDEF’s advocacy continues for the bipartisan Religious Workforce Protection Act (RWPA). This legislation would provide the comprehensive solution our community needs, allowing those already in the U.S. on an R-1 visa who have applied for permanent residency to remain in the country for renewable periods until they receive a decision on their green card application.
On Language Access
Protecting Multilingual Services for 25 Million Americans
Many Sikh Americans, particularly our elders and recent immigrants, rely on Punjabi language services to access critical federal programs.
SALDEF is honored to sponsor groundbreaking legislation introduced by Representatives Meng, Chu, Goldman, and Vargas that protects language access for 25 million individuals in the U.S. with limited English proficiency. This legislation ensures that language is never a barrier to accessing healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid or receiving Social Security benefits and disability services.
On Hate Crimes
SALDEF signed on in support of bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Mazie Hirono and Susan Collins to improve the accuracy and credibility of hate crime reporting nationwide.
- The Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act would require the Department of Justice to assess whether law enforcement agencies are reporting credible hate crime data and require jurisdictions that fail to do so to strengthen reporting systems and conduct community education in order to remain eligible for certain federal funding.
SALDEF emphasized that Sikh Americans are among the most targeted religious groups per capita and that consistent, reliable data is essential to accountability, effective policymaking, and ensuring impacted communities receive appropriate protections and resources. The full text of the legislation is available here.
ACT NOW
If you or someone you know experiences immigration enforcement activity, civil rights violations, or religious discrimination, contact SALDEF immediately. Our team is here to help.
This work is only possible because of you. Every victory we secure, every injustice we challenge, every community member we protect: it all flows from your commitment to our shared vision of justice, dignity, and equality.