US immigration officials conduct raids in gurdwaras in New York, New Jersey
New York: Immigration enforcement officials from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted raids in gurdwaras across New York and New Jersey on Sunday to identify undocumented immigrants. The action has drawn criticism from Sikh organisations, which have expressed concern over the sanctity of their places of worship being compromised.
A DHS spokesperson defended the move, stating, “This action empowers CBP and ICE officials to enforce immigration laws and apprehend criminal aliens, including those involved in violent crimes such as murder and rape. Criminals can no longer use places like schools and churches as safe havens.”
The raids follow a policy shift under US President Donald Trump’s administration, which rescinded guidelines from the Biden era that protected “sensitive” locations such as religious institutions from enforcement actions.
Vice President JD Vance echoed similar sentiments, saying, “If a person convicted of a violent crime is hiding, law enforcement must act to ensure public safety, irrespective of their immigration status.”
However, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) criticised the move. Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill expressed alarm over the targeting of gurdwaras, stating that the actions threaten the sanctity of the Sikh faith and send a “chilling message” to immigrant communities.
The Sikh Coalition highlighted concerns over decreased attendance at gurdwaras, which could impact the ability to practice essential religious activities. “The idea of armed law enforcement conducting raids in gurdwaras is unacceptable to the Sikh faith tradition,” the organisation stated.
The DHS actions are part of a broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants, with several reported arrests and deportations under Trump’s immigration policies.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
