On September 9, the Department of Homeland Security posted a bizarre and hostile video and fake movie poster on Twitter announcing a phone line to “report illegal aliens on American roads.” The video featured immigrant drivers involved in recent tragic accidents, and the poster depicted a Sikh man and featured the words “get off the roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.” The fake poster has since been deleted, but the video and tipline remain. In response, the Sikh Coalition created an advocacy tool that helped sangat members send more than 1800 messages to their elected officials; pushed members of Congress to issue statements and briefed caucuses; organized allied organizations, gurdwarae, and Sikh elected officials onto sign-on statements; engaged the media; and more.

Just days after the DHS posting, on September 13, a Sikh trucker was stabbed 17 times in a brutal assault at a rest stop in Wyoming. A suspect, who is also a trucker, was soon arrested in a nearby town; there is no information about motive at this time. The trucker has since formally retained the Jakara Movement to provide them with legal advice, and the Sikh Coalition has been working to support them—including by recommending that federal authorities investigate the possibility of hate as a motive in the attack, as well as ensuring that a $10,000 donation from our partners at The Asian American Foundation reached the family.

Finally, on September 15, the Sikh Coalition held a rally in Washington, DC, to support petitioners in the Lujan v. FMCSA II court case. This important case, for which arguments were heard in federal court that day, challenges the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) rule that will push roughly 200,000 lawfully present immigrants out of the workforce because of their immigration statuses. In addition to the rally, we published a blog and shared a reel about why efforts to remove these truckers without any safety justification is so harmful.

The Sikh Coalition marked the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001,  by joining Americans across the country in honoring the wide range of lives lost and forever changed on that day and in the weeks, months, and years after. Our work around the anniversary included leading policy advocacy efforts, elevating critical resources from allied organizations, and partnering with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City to help curate content for a special exhibition that includes the Sikh American experience as part of the broader story of service in the 25 years since.

In addition to commemorating 9/11, the Sikh Coalition also observed the 25th anniversary of the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi this month. We were glad to support the Revolutionary Love Project as they worked with the Sodhi family to scale the annual memorial of Balbir ji to a significant event centered on a program of interfaith speakers and artists. Specifically, the Sikh Coalition handled media publicity for the event, resulting in 10 local and national pieces about the anniversary, as well as ensured elected officials’ attendance (as well as a floor speech on the U.S. House of Representatives). Community Development Director Aasees Kaur also spoke at the end of the program, delivering a call to action for the audience. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Revolutionary Love Project for including us in this effort and, as ever, to the Sodhi family for welcoming us into their community and the beautiful example of their chardi kala spirit.

Throughout the past month, the Sikh Coalition’s 2026 GOTV (“Get Out The Vote”) Fellows tabled at their local gurdwarae in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, and North Carolina to ensure that members of their sangat are registered to vote in advance of Election Day on November 3. Fellows collectively engaged more than 300 sangat members and registered more than 30 new voters! Additionally, fellows, sevadaars, and Sikh Coalition staff have written more than 900 nonpartisan postcards to voters in Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and New York.

Our latest GOTV update also underscored resources. Content available from the Sikh Coalition includes our GOTV Center for checking voter registration, our “Know Your Rights at the Polls” document in English and Punjabi, an English/Punjabi GOTV flyer on resources for gurdwarae, and another English/Punjabi flyer about the nonpartisan election protection hotline. We look forward to releasing even more content and guidance this month as Election Day, November 3, draws closer.

On October 10, from 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM EST, the Sikh Coalition will host our first-ever educator’s conference, titled The Mosaic of Light: Chardi Kala & Everyday Courage – Uplifting Sikhi in K-12 Curricula. This virtual program will explore religiosity, cultural adaptation, and inclusive education in modern classrooms, working to equip educators with practical tools to integrate pluralism, adapt curricula for diverse learners (across general and special education), and create safe, supportive spaces for students navigating complex identities. 

The Mosaic of Light is targeted towards teachers, but any sangat member who is interested in how to ensure accurate inclusion of Sikhi in public school classrooms is welcome to join. Click here to view the full lineup of speakers and register!

The Sikh Coalition continues to successfully represent Sikh immigrants being wrongfully held in immigration custody through our Habeas Project, which last month saw the successful release of two Sikh brothers from more than 10 months in ICE detention. Still, every day, the number of Sikh immigrants being placed in immigration detention grows—especially given increased immigration enforcement activities targeting truck drivers and asylum seekers. To ensure members of your sangat know their rights, read our new community FAQ in both English and Punjabi. If you need a more detailed explainer, you can also see this resource from the National Immigration Project (as well as a Punjabi translation provided by the Sikh Coalition). Additional guidance and external resources are available here.

  • On September 3, Senior Federal Policy Manager Mannirmal Kaur spoke before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in a virtual listening session on the civil rights challenges experienced by specific communities as a result of post-9/11 policymaking. Mannirmal’s verbal and written testimony included a wide range of policy recommendations for the upcoming 120th Congress.
  • On September 23, Community Development Manager Anmol Aulakh represented the Sikh Coalition at the quarterly meeting of the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.
  • Finally, on September 24, Senior Education Manager Savleen Singh and Education Fellow Tavroop Kaur held a professional development session for a group of 15 AAPI organizations focused on education advocacy across the country. The session was held in collaboration with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, and covered some of the challenges Sikh students face in K-12 schools, how the Sikh Coalition responds to those challenges, and what classroom-ready resources and instructional materials we have available.