Washington D.C. – Yesterday, December 3, 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed H. Res. 5317, a resolution that would rename a post office in Houston, Texas, after the late Harris County Sheriff’s (HCSO) Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. SALDEF is pleased that after almost a year of work, the resolution has passed with bipartisan support. Deputy Dhaliwal, the first Sikh police officer to serve in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office while maintaining his articles of faith, was fatally shot and killed in the line of duty in 2019.
Last year, U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) introduced legislation to rename the post office on Addick Howell Road after Deputy Dhaliwal. The bill was passed unanimously by the House in September, and with Senate passage, it will now go to President Trump for his signature.
“It has been an honor to work on this bill’s passage to recognize the life and contributions of Deputy Dhaliwal. His life of service to others, working for equality, connection, understanding, and community exemplifies the very best of Houston,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “I also want to acknowledge and thank our Sikh community partners, including SALDEF and Regional Director Bobby Singh, who have been key partners in working with my team to move this bill forward. With their help, we were able to build awareness of the bill, the Sikh American community, and the trail-blazing religious accommodations created when Deputy Dhaliwal joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 2015.”
WATCH: Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Honors Deputy Dhaliwal on the House Floor
Over the past year, SALDEF Regional Director Bobby Singh has worked hand in hand with Congresswoman Fletcher and the local congressional delegation to ensure that the memory of Deputy Dhaliwal carries on in perpetuity. Additionally, SALDEF has been working with members of Congress to support its passage.
“This recognition by Congress is a testament to Deputy Dhaliwal’s character, pioneering achievement, and service to all, and serves as a sense of pride that this post office will be a permanent reminder to all Houstonians,” said Mr. Singh.”We applaud Congresswoman Fletcher for her leadership and partnership on this tribute to the life and service of Deputy Dhaliwal.”
SALDEF would like to thank Congresswoman Fletcher for her leadership and tenacity in working to secure passage of this resolution, and the Houston Congressional delegation, who all co-sponsored the original resolution: Reps. Brian Babin (TX-36), Kevin Brady (TX-08), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Al Green (TX-09), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Michael McCaul (TX-10), Pete Olson (TX-22), and Randy Weber (TX-14).