Investigators are looking into charges that agents at the U.S.-Mexico border stripped Sikh asylum seekers from Punjab and elsewhere from India of their turbans, reports the BBC.
The ACLU charged that the officers “blantantly violated federal law” when they took the religious headgear from at least 50 people whose turbans are considered essential to their faith.
“It’s just not acceptable,” said Vanessa Pineda, of the ACLU of Arizona. “They need to find another alternative and to stop this. It’s dehumanizing.”
ABC reports the turbans allegedly were not only taken but discarded.
“We take allegations of this nature very seriously,” Magnus said in a statement. “Our expectation is that CBP employees treat all migrants we encounter with respect. An internal investigation has been opened to address this matter.”
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According to the Washington Examiner, in the last 18 months, the Yuma region of Arizona has seen a surge in migrants crossing the border-more than any other region.
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