From the Frontlines: March Advocacy Update
As March comes to a close, we are reflecting on what your support helped make possible for Sikh Americans this month. From advancing key policy priorities to strengthening our voice in critical national conversations, your investment continues to move this work forward for Sikh American communities nationwide.
Below is SALDEF’s March policy update, reflecting the advocacy, coalition work, and progress made possible this month.
DEFENDING YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE
Congress is currently considering the SAVE Act, a bill that would require Americans to show proof of citizenship like a passport or birth certificate just to register to vote.
Millions of eligible citizens don’t have these documents readily available, including many naturalized citizens and U.S.-born Sikh Americans whose records may not perfectly match government databases.
If passed, this bill could effectively strip eligible voters of their right to participate in our democracy.
SALDEF is actively opposing this bill, and we urge you to join us. The legislation remains in the Senate, and your voice can make a critical difference in stopping it from advancing.
FIGHTING TO END DETENTION ABUSE
Masuma Khan died in immigration detention in California. She was denied the medical care she needed. By the time anyone intervened, it was too late. She is not alone. Sikh detainees are held in these same facilities today without adequate care, without safe conditions, without basic protections.
SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, would change that. This California bill would establish meaningful oversight to ensure these facilities meet basic health, safety, and labor standards.
SALDEF has submitted a formal memo of support and is now calling on California community members to urge their State Senators to vote in favor of the bill.
If passed, this bill could effectively strip eligible voters of their right to participate in our democracy.
SALDEF is actively opposing this bill, and we urge you to join us. The legislation remains in the Senate, and your voice can make a critical difference in stopping it from advancing.
FIGHTING FOR EVERY IMMIGRANT’S RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING
“As we see an unprecedented scale of immigration enforcement and detention, our community needs legislation that will scale up legal services programs and strengthen individuals’ access to counsel. SALDEF remains committed to fighting for dignity and due process for the Sikh community.”
– Kiran Kaur Gill, SALDEF Executive Director
For thousands of immigrants facing deportation without legal representation, the outcome is often determined before they ever enter a courtroom.
SALDEF refuses to accept that reality, which is why we are grateful to endorse Senator Markey’s SHIELD Act. This legislation would invest $100 million to expand immigration legal services nationwide, helping ensure access to counsel and due process for everyone facing deportation proceedings.
FIGHTING TO BUILD COLLECTIVE POWER FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
We were grateful to join the South Asian Coalition at its first national summit and immigration briefing on Capitol Hill, where 25 organizations came together to align advocacy priorities for Congress.
When Sikh Americans show up alongside South Asian communities, immigrant communities, and civil rights organizations, we are harder to ignore and harder to harm.
This kind of coalition work strengthens our ability to advance shared priorities and protect vulnerable communities at scale.
SALDEF is actively opposing this bill, and we urge you to join us. The legislation remains in the Senate, and your voice can make a critical difference in stopping it from advancing.
FIGHTING TO PROTECT DIASPORA COMMUNITIES FROM TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION
Transnational repression is what happens when foreign governments reach across borders to surveil, intimidate, threaten, or harm members of diaspora communities living in the United States.
In March, SALDEF joined a Freedom House-led coalition of 35 diaspora, human rights, faith-based, and civil society organizations urging Congress to pass the Transnational Repression Policy Act, which would direct federal resources to identify and counter these threats. Read the Full Coalition Letter Here
The work ahead is significant, and so is the community powering it.
SALDEF is grateful for your continued investment in advancing the safety, dignity, and full participation of Sikh Americans. As we enter our 30th year, your support continues to shape what is possible.