(Correction: Reports of ICE entering gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey appear to be incorrect. Please see our updated story here.)
Declaring churches and gurdwaras are no longer off limit, Homeland Security agents went into Sikh places of worship in search of undocumented immigrants in New York and New Jersey, reported the Business Standard.
The move is a reversal of a policy under the Biden administration which banned enforcement actions at such sensitive areas as places of worship.
“We are deeply alarmed. Targeting these spaces for enforcement actions threatens the sanctity of our faith and sends a chilling message to immigrant communities nationwide,” Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund or SALDEF said in a statement to AsAmNews.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson says the change in policy gives them more latitude to capture criminals.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense,” the New Indian Express quoted the spokesperson as saying.
However, the Sikh Coalition also joined in condemnation of the new policy, reported Gulf News.
“Gurdwaras are sacred spaces where Sikhs gather to pray, share meals, and practice their faith. Allowing armed law enforcement to conduct raids and surveillance in these spaces undermines the very essence of religious freedom.”
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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