From the Frontlines: March Advocacy Update

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.

Tell Your Senator to VOTE NO on the SAVE Act

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.

CA RESIDENTS: URGE THE STATE SENATE TO PASS SB995

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.

TELL CONGRESS: EVERYONE DESERVES THEIR FAIR DAY IN COURT

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.

SALDEF Policy Update: February 2026

In February, SALDEF engaged lawmakers, filed legal briefs, strengthened coalitions, and ensured that Sikh American perspectives were represented in critical federal and state policy discussions. Here is exactly what your support made possible.

1. Protecting the Right to Vote

Sikh Americans, like many immigrant communities, face outsized barriers when navigating voter registration systems: language access gaps, name discrepancies on documents, and unfamiliarity with bureaucratic processes.

The SAVE America Act, the Make Elections Great Again Act, and the original SAVE Act would have made those barriers worse.

SALDEF joined a national civil rights coalition to oppose all three, ensuring that eligible Sikh American citizens are not locked out of the democratic process that shapes the policies affecting their lives.

2. Defending Birthright Citizenship and Due Process

For Sikh families with mixed immigration status, a reality for many in our community, birthright citizenship is the legal foundation of their children’s lives in America.

This month SALDEF endorsed the Defend the Fourteenth Amendment Resolution and joined SAAJCO and the South Asian coalition on an amicus brief in Trump v. Barbara, standing in federal court in direct defense of this constitutional protection. As this right is challenged, with your support, SALDEF is pushing back.

3. Protecting Gurdwaras and Sikh Sacred Spaces

The sanctity of religious worship spaces is not a matter of preference; it is a matter of constitutional and moral principle. This month, SALDEF continued to put pressure by joining a letter urging Congress to enact the bill.

This federal legislation would formally protect houses of worship, including Sikh gurdwaras, from immigration enforcement actions that erode community trust and undermine religious free exercise.

4. Holding Government Power Accountable

SALDEF called for congressional oversight of Department of Homeland Security surveillance technologies through a coalition letter led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

SALDEF endorsed the Melt ICE Act, advocating for an immigration system grounded in due process and proportionality rather than punitive detention.

5. Leading the Nation on Transnational Repression

After California Governor Newsom vetoed SB 509 last year, we continued our advocacy in ensuring victims of transnational repression are protected.

This month, SALDEF successfully engaged with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to ensure that as the state develops official law enforcement training on transnational repression, the Sikh community’s experiences are centered.

Following the guilty plea entered by Nikhil Gupta in a plot tied to foreign threats against Sikh Americans on U.S. soil, SALDEF issued a public statement reinforcing that accountability is not optional.

6. Defending Religious Freedom and Fighting Online Hate

When X/Twitter became a platform for coordinated hate targeting minority religious communities, civil rights organizations that spoke up faced legal retaliation. SALDEF joined an amicus brief in Media Matters v. FTC to protect the right of advocacy organizations including our own to do this work without fear.

SALDEF also joined Interfaith Alliance v. Trump as a plaintiff, challenging the Religious Liberty Commission to ensure that religious freedom protections serve all Americans, not just some.

Because of your partnership, SALDEF continues to advocate for our community, ensuring that Sikh Americans are not only included in national conversations, but actively shaping them.

Thank you for your continued trust and investment in this work.

Support SALDEF’s Work on the Frontlines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026

Defending Religious Liberty for All: SALDEF Takes Legal Action

Trump-Vance Administration Commission Using Secretive Advisory Group to Promote Narrow and Exclusionary Understanding of Religious Liberty

New York City – SALDEF, alongside a multi-faith coalition, have united to file a lawsuit challenging the unlawful creation of the Trump-Vance administration’s so-called Religious Liberty Commission, pointing to violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the unbalanced and biased viewpoints assembled for the panel.

The commission was established by Executive Order 14291 on May 1, 2025. Despite the guidelines set by law through FACA, the commission’s membership consists exclusively of Christians, except for one Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, all of whom collectively represent the narrow perspective that America was founded as a “Judeo-Christian” nation and must be guided by Biblical principles.

No members of the commission represent other minority religions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism, or non-religious Americans, and the commission’s meetings have expressly adopted and promoted purportedly Judeo-Christian ideals and viewpoints, with members routinely expressing their views during meetings that the United States is a Judeo-Christian or Christian nation.

The legal challenge is being brought by SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund), Interfaith Alliance, Muslims For Progressive Values, and Hindus For Human Rights. It asks that the court declare that the commission was created and administered in violation of federal law, to require the disclosure of documents that should already be public, and to ensure that any recommendations produced by this body are clearly identified as coming from an unlawfully constituted commission. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward and Americans United for Separation of Church and State in the matter.

“Religious freedom and religious liberty for all are foundational American values. America thrives when all religious traditions are respected and diverse perspectives are considered in the public realm. As Americans, we must work together to ensure these values are upheld,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“Religious freedom for some is religious freedom for none,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “The government has no right to pick and choose which religious beliefs to promote, and which to marginalize. The Trump administration has failed to uphold our country’s proud religious freedom tradition, and we will hold them accountable. Today’s lawsuit is our recommitment to fight for religious liberty for all with every tool available to us.”

“As a Muslim American organization, we have seen first hand how elevating a singular religion above others, especially in a country as religiously diverse as the United States, leads to the oppression and possible persecution of minority faiths,” said Ani Zonneveld, President and Founder of Muslims for Progressive Values. “As Americans, we must work together so that no form of religious supremacy cements itself in our country.”

“Religious liberty means religious liberty for everyone, not just one faith community. By stacking this Religious Liberty Commission with a narrow set of voices and hiding the commission’s work from the public eye, the Trump administration is evading the transparency and balance that federal law requires. Hindus for Human Rights is proud to stand with our multifaith partners to defend a pluralistic democracy where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and nonreligious people all belong as equals,” said Ria Chakrabarty, Senior Policy Director of Hindus for Human Rights.

Congress enacted FACA in 1972 to curb the executive branch’s reliance on secretive and biased advisory committees, and the law establishes strict requirements for the creation and conduct of committees that are intended to influence national policy. Every advisory committee must meet public transparency requirements, be in the public interest, be fairly balanced among competing points of view, and be structured to avoid inappropriate influence by special interests.

“Since the nation’s founding, the values of religious liberty and pluralism have been central to the American identity. These values are now under accelerated attack. The Trump-Vance administration’s Religious Liberty Commission is not about religious liberty, it is about pursuing a culture of Christian Nationalism that seeks to divide and isolate people across our nation,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward. “The fatally flawed way this commission was assembled makes clear that the outcome isn’t just un-American, it’s against the law. Inspired by this diverse multifaith coalition of plaintiffs and their commitment to true religious liberty, we will continue to use every legal tool available to protect the American people and the best of our nation’s values.”

“The Religious Liberty Commission isn’t about protecting religious liberty for all; it’s about rejecting our nation’s religious diversity and prioritizing one narrow set of conservative ‘Judeo-Christian’ beliefs,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “The commission’s public meetings – most of which have been held at the Museum of the Bible and have been dominated by a very specific brand of Christian faith, Christian prayers, and predominantly Christian speakers – are a vivid example of this favoritism. The commission’s true purpose and operations can’t be squared with America’s constitutional promise of church-state separation.”

The case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is Interfaith Alliance et al. v. Trump et al. The legal team on this case includes Anna Deffebach, Robin Thurston, and Ayesha Khan from Democracy Forward and Jenny Samuels from Americans United.

Read the filing here.

*Perryman also serves as a member of the Board of Interfaith Alliance.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: October 14, 2025

Contact: media@saldef.org

Vetoed but Not Silenced: SALDEF Statement on SB 509

Sacramento, California — SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) expresses profound disappointment in Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto SB 509, legislation that would have provided critical protections against transnational repression and enhanced law enforcement training to better serve California’s Sikh community.

While we are disheartened by this outcome, we are deeply moved by and profoundly grateful for the overwhelming community support demonstrated throughout this legislative process. Sikh Americans, civil rights advocates, and allies across California came together in an unprecedented show of solidarity: signing petitions, attending hearings, contacting their representatives, taking time away from work and family to testify, and making their voices heard in Sacramento.

Your dedication, your courage, and your unwavering commitment to this cause have been nothing short of extraordinary. This coalition understood that transnational repression is not just a Sikh issue, but a threat to all Californians and to the fundamental values of safety and freedom that define our state.

“The veto of SB 509 is a setback for the safety and security of all Californians,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “At a time when foreign governments seek to intimidate and silence their critics on American soil, this legislation would have equipped law enforcement with the tools and training needed to protect all residents. The outpouring of support we witnessed from community members who took time away from work and family to testify, to the countless individuals who contacted their representatives demonstrates that Californians understand what’s at stake. Together, we will create the California we all deserve, one that truly protects all its people.”

SALDEF remains committed to advancing policies that protect our community from transnational repression, ensure law enforcement is equipped to recognize and respond to these threats, and safeguard the civil rights of Sikh Americans. We are grateful to Senator Caballero for her leadership on combatting this issue and for every individual and organization that stood with us in support of SB 509.

Today’s setback does not diminish our hope but instead it fuels our determination. We invite all Californians who believe in safety, justice, and the fundamental right to live without fear to join us in building a future where every person can speak freely, practice their faith openly, and thrive without intimidation.

🎥 Film Preview + Conversation in San Diego, CA

Join SALDEF and the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California on October 2, 2025, at 5 p.m. for a special film-in-progress preview with award-winning filmmaker Mridu Chandra.

View never-before-seen footage from Saund vs Cochran, a nonpartisan documentary in development about how Dalip Singh Saund made history as the first Asian, Indian, and Sikh American elected to the U.S. Congress, serving California’s 29th District from 1957–1963.

Don’t miss this chance to engage in a powerful conversation about Saund’s legacy and its continued relevance today.

👉 RSVP now for FREE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saund-vs-cochran-film-in-progress-preview-event-tickets-1712288213139

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2025
Contact: media@saldef.org

SALDEF Endorses September 11th Congressional Resolution

Washington, D.C. – SALDEF endorses a House Resolution introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal, which acknowledges the hate and targeting that the Sikh, Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities faced in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. 

We are grateful that the bill acknowledges the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man who was murdered in Mesa, Arizona on September 15th, 2001. This was the first fatal act of hate violence in the post 9/11 aftermath.

The same divisive and xenophobic rhetoric that resulted in hate violence against the Sikh community continues to cause harm. Communities are often targeted with overreaching policing, surveillance, and criminalization, as outlined by the bill. 

The bill does not simply recognize the attacks against our communities, but also advocates for the creation of an independent commission to work with community-based organizations to review harmful government policies and to provide recommendations for dismantling them, as well as build out support avenues for victims of hate and State violence. 

We thank the co-leads and sponsors of the resolution: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Rep. André Carson (IN-07), Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21), Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Contact: media@saldef.org

SALDEF Responds to 2024 FBI Hate Crimes Data Release

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released their national report on hate crimes, indicating 143 anti-Sikh hate crimes documented in calendar year 2024. We continue to see Sikhs as one of the top three most targeted religious groups in the country, behind the Jewish and Muslim communities. 

Unfortunately, we know that these numbers do not account for the true scope of hate around the country. Law enforcement agencies continue to under-report, or sometimes fail to report the number of hate crimes in their region. Since agencies often fail to report to the FBI,  many victims develop a lack of trust in law enforcement, which causes individuals to often not report their hate crimes, perpetuating a cycle of underreporting. 

“Anti-Sikh hate remains prevalent, although this is not always reflected most accurately in the data,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “SALDEF continues to push for data collection approaches that ensure that our community is heard, supported, and empowered to come forward.” 

We continue to push Congress, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies to combat hate and provide our community with resources. SALDEF urges Congress to pass the Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act (IRPHA). Passage of the IRPHA will support localities in reporting credible and accurate data, which is critical for our community to access.

If you are a victim of an act of hate or bias, we encourage you to share your experience with SALDEF. You can find more resources on how to respond to acts of hate here. 

Report an Incident View SALDEF’s Free Resources

SALDEF Responds to Executive Order Undermining Birthright Citizenship

WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) that would restrict birthright citizenship based on the documentation status of a child’s parents, but the EO was challenged and temporarily blocked by lower courts. In Trump v. Casa, the Supreme Court did not rule on the legality of changing the birthright citizenship rules, but ended the ability of federal district judges to freeze unlawful executive policies nationwide–allowing the White House to proceed, in some parts of the country, toward an unprecedented narrowing of the definition of precisely who is an American. 

President Trump’s executive order (EO) aimed at ending birthright citizenship attempts to change the application of the 14th Amendment; something that no president has ever attempted. The EO targets not just the children of parents who are undocumented but also the children of those with an array of legal, non-permanent statuses such as H-1B visas or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This sweeping change would erode a foundational principle of American identity–that all people born here are afforded the full rights and protections of the Constitution–and is dangerous for all immigrant communities, including Sikh Americans.

“We will always stand for the rights enshrined in the 14th Amendment and support a unified, humane immigration system that does not vary from state to state,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “We look forward to the Supreme Court ultimately ruling on the merits that this threat to the promise of equality, a bedrock principle of our democracy, is blatantly unconstitutional.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2025
Contact: media@saldef.org

SALDEF Responds to Rep. Mary Miller’s Xenophobic Remarks About Sikh House Prayer

Washington, D.C. — The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) strongly condemns the xenophobic and factually incorrect remarks made by U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) in response to a Sikh Granthi (priest) delivering the opening prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a now-deleted post, Rep. Miller expressed that such a prayer “should never have been allowed,” inaccurately identifying the Sikh faith and questioning the legitimacy of a non-Christian leading the House in prayer.

“U.S. Representative Mary Miller’s remarks are inexcusable and contrary to the principles our country was founded on,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “America’s strength comes from its diversity and acceptance of people of all faiths, races, and backgrounds. We call upon Rep. Miller to issue an immediate apology for her hateful and reprehensible remarks, and urge House leadership and the Republican Party to repudiate and condemn these statements.”

“To say that Sikhs, or our Muslim brothers and sisters, are not American is not only shameful, it’s dangerous,” Gill continued. “These statements, especially from a sitting member of Congress, have real-life consequences. Sikh Americans already face discrimination, hate crimes, and targeted violence simply because of how we look and what we believe. Rep. Miller’s comments don’t just reflect ignorance—they actively fuel bigotry and give cover to those who seek to divide and harm.”

SALDEF extends an invitation to Rep. Miller and her staff to meet with Sikh American community members to discuss the impact of her remarks and to provide a better understanding of Sikhism and the contributions of Sikh Americans to our nation.

Read Our Community Statement Here. 

Standing Against Hate: Defending Sikh American Values

SALDEF is deeply troubled by remarks made today by U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-IL), which are not only inexcusable but also fundamentally at odds with the principles on which our country was founded. These remarks are now deleted.

Our nation’s strength lies in its diversity—in the rich tapestry of faiths, backgrounds, and cultures that define the American experience. To suggest that Sikhs—or our Muslim brothers and sisters—are not American is not only false, but dangerous. These statements, especially from a sitting member of Congress, have real and harmful consequences.

Sikh Americans already face discrimination, hate crimes, and targeted violence simply because of how we look and what we believe. Rep. Miller’s comments go beyond ignorance—they stoke the flames of bigotry and embolden those who seek to divide and harm.

We are calling on Rep. Miller to issue an immediate apology for her reprehensible remarks. We also urge House leadership and the Republican Party to clearly repudiate and condemn these statements.

At SALDEF, we welcome Representative Miller and her staff to meet and to offer a better understanding of the Sikh faith and the contributions of Sikh Americans to our nation.

Your support enables us to respond swiftly and forcefully when our community is under attack. Thank you for standing with us in defense of dignity, equality, and justice for all.