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The raids follow a policy shift under US President Donald Trump’s administration, which rescinded guidelines from the Biden era that protected “sensitive” locations such as religious institutions from enforcement actions.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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7 held for running fake call centre in South Kolkata
Kolkata (PTI): Seven people were arrested from the Parnashree area in the southern part of the city for allegedly running a fake call centre, a police officer said on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house on Netaji Subhas Road on Friday night and found the fake call centre operating from the ground floor, he said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had set up a bogus company using forged documents and posed as employees of an antivirus firm to call citizens in the US, the officer said.
"The callers would gain the trust of victims and then use remote access to take control of their phones or other digital devices. The accused allegedly siphoned off large sums of money, running into millions of dollars, from victims' accounts," he said.
Five laptops, two WiFi routers, six mobile phones and four headsets were seized from the accused, he said, adding that the seven are being questioned to ascertain the full extent of the racket and to identify others involved.
