FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: media@saldef.org, media@sikhcoalition.org
Sikh Organizations Release Joint Statement on Closure of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Watchdog Agencies
March 26, 2025 (Washington, DC) — Today, SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and the Sikh Coalition released the following joint statement on last week’s reports that the Department of Homeland Security is closing three key “watchdog” agencies.
“As longtime advocates for Sikh civil rights, we are disturbed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a ‘reduction in force’ that all but eliminates the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. While we are clear-eyed about the enforcement capabilities of these offices, we know firsthand that a legal venue for challenging abuses against migrants is important.”
“For years, our organizations have been working collaboratively with allies to stop the mistreatment of Sikhs and their articles of faith. As recently as February, in fact, individuals in DHS custody have alleged that their turbans were seized and destroyed (among other mistreatments) in the course of their detention and deportation. Each of our organizations have sought answers and accountability from the Trump Administration on this matter, and neither has received a response. The closure of these offices will only make it harder to protect Sikh detainees’ religious rights—and the human rights and basic dignity to which all detainees, regardless of their background, are entitled to under the Constitution.”
“It is additionally chilling to see these closures against the backdrop of the Trump Administration’s escalating battle with the judiciary regarding their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and subsequent rendition, without due process, of individuals alleged to be Venezuelan gang members to third-party countries. We call on leaders within DHS, the Department of Justice, and elsewhere in the federal government to commit to respecting the religious and civil rights of all people—even in the course of immigration enforcement.”
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