Since January 2019, the Sikh Coalition has been providing direct resources and support to the ongoing hunger strike crisis that has involved several Sikh detainees in El Paso, Texas.
Over the past two months, our legal team has met with immigration attorneys and interviewed 42 Sikh men detained in two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Texas. This engagement has been joined by our advocacy team engaging the Department of Homeland Security and key Members of Congress to demand a further investigation into the policies and procedures involving these Sikh detainees.
We recognize that immigration is a long-standing and complex issue. Even though we do not provide direct legal services on immigration and it has not been a primary focus area, we have a responsibility to make sure that the civil rights of Sikhs are protected. The more we learn about the practices involving the detention of Sikhs at various ICE facilities across the country, the more we understand that we have a responsibility to act.
On April 2, 2019, we will be joining other civil rights organizations and members of Congress to brief legislators about these concerns while demanding further transparency and oversight into the treatment of Sikh detainees.
We are inviting you to attend this briefing on Tuesday so that congressional offices recognize that the broader Sikh American community is paying attention to these problems.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 2, 2019 (11-12:30 pm EST)
WHERE: Cannon House Office Building, Room 421; 27 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
WHY: To demand further transparency and oversight into detention-related policies and procedures that are compromising Sikh civil rights.
WHO: The briefing will feature immigration attorneys, members of Congress and civil rights leaders.
All visitors must pass through security – please arrive 15 minutes early. For Kirpan accommodations, please contact advocacy@sikhcoalition.org no later than Sunday, March 31st to schedule accommodations. Please keep in mind that there is very little public parking available near the Capitol. The nearest public parking facility is at Union Station to the north of the Capitol, and metered street parking can be found along the Mall to the west of the Capitol.
We want to thank the many partner organizations that are co-sponsoring this briefing. These organizations include South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Detention Watch Network (DWN), Freedom For Immigrants, JAKARA, SALDEF, UndocuBlack Network, and United We Dream (UWD).
If you have any concerns or questions about the briefing, please contact advocacy@sikhcoalition.org.
Chardi Kala,
Sim J. Singh
Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy
The Sikh Coalition
