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Ensuring Dignity for Sikh Migrants

A project of SALDEF
photo04.jpg Jaspreet Kaur
Washington, Washington D.C., US
$2,540pledged of $15,000 goal
$2,540goal: $15,000
7donors
Yes tax deductible
Ongoingannual goal
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“They told me to take off my turban. I know a little English, and I said, ‘It’s my religion.’ But they insisted.” -  Sikh Migrant 

When Sikh migrants fleeing from countries due to religious persecution arrived in America they did not receive a warm welcome – far from it. From reports of turban confiscation and destruction to deliberate blocking of Sikh migrants’ attempts to pray and otherwise peacefully observe their faith, to a lack of vegetarian food options, the treatment of the Border Patrol agents against Sikh migrants only further added to their trauma of leaving their homes. 

As we know, the dastaar is an object of deep religious significance, and those who wear it and other articles of faith like karas and kachere do so as a reflection of their faith and devotion. The confiscation and destruction of a Sikh’s turban are among the gravest offenses imaginable. 

Ensuring Dignity for Sikh Migrants

In response, SALDEF is working to hold the Border Patrol accountable, develop appropriate procedures focused on the preservation of religious rights, advocate for policies that strengthen religious freedom, and provide Sikh-specific sensitivity training using proven and effective community engagement strategies to the border patrol agents.

Since 2003, SALDEF has partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice to train over 100,000 members of local, state, and federal government agencies. These training sessions are critical in ensuring Sikhs are treated with dignity and our articles of faith are respected and understood by officers. With your help, we can ensure proper treatment for Sikh detained migrants. 

Will you help us stand up for the rights of our brothers and sisters? Help us protect Sikh migrants by donating today. 

  • 08/08/2023

    Ensuring Dignity for Sikh Migrants

    SALDEF is working with local asylum shelters, gurdwaras, and community volunteers in the Phoenix, Arizona area to establish a dastaar fulfillment network that will allow shelters, gurdwaras, and even federal border facilities to request and receive dastaars and 5Ks for recent Sikh migrants who need replacements. We are working to expand this network to other parts of Arizona and Texas. We continue to engage with DHS and CBP to develop better training for field agents and help vet their new guidance for religious sensitivity.

  • 05/10/2023

    Ensuring Dignity for Sikh Migrants

    SALDEF has collaborated with multi-faith partners to submit policy guidance for Customs & Border Patrol on handling religious articles of faith and how to respectfully search the 5 Ks if necessary. Additionally, SALDEF is building a distribution network for replacement articles of faith. We are coordinating donations from the national sangat with volunteers at the border to ensure replacement 5 Ks are available at gurdwaras, volunteer-run migrant shelters, and border facilities where they are needed by Sikh migrants. We are also conducting a survey in Punjabi to gather primary data from Sikh migrants about their experience in custody to better inform our advocacy to Congress and Customs & Border Patrol.

  • 02/02/2023

    Ensuring Dignity for Sikh Migrants

    SALDEF is working with multi-faith partners to produce policy guidance for Customs & Border Patrol on handling religious articles of faith. SALDEF’s current focus is how agents can sensitively process Sikh migrants, including the meanings of the 5 Ks and how to respectfully search these items if necessary. Additionally, SALDEF has provided training materials and resources on Sikhism for Sikh-specific training for CBP which will include background on the 5 K’s and Sikh religious practices. 

  • 08/22/2022

    Submitted a Letter to the Secretary of the DHS

    SALDEF joined the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona (ACLU-AZ) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and more than 160 civil rights, immigration, religious, advocacy, and other organizations in submitting a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the continued mistreatment of Sikhs and other religious migrants at our southern border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

  • 02/25/2022

    Provide Care to Detained Unaccompanied Minor's

    Every Wednesday SALDEF is given a chance to connect with the Sikh children at Heartland Alliance to hold a satsang program and pray together. In addition, one Sunday each month, SALDEF is invited to participate in interfaith events together with the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants and other religious communities. During those interfaith gatherings the children are given an opportunity to learn about the Sikh religion and other religions as well as eat sweets from all different cultures.

  • 12/02/2021

    Care for Detained SIkh Unaccompanied Minors

    SALDEF’s goal is to ensure the long-term safety of these children and to ensure there is respect for their culture and tradition as well as their religious needs. Donors like you supporting us in our efforts. Thank you so much!!

    On November 4th, 2021 SALDEF Program Director, Sharan Kaur Singh partnered with Dr. Carmen Arellano, Director of Children's Visitation Program at the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants to celebrate Bandi Chor Divas at the all women Heartland Alliance facility called Casa Heartland at Princeton (CHAP) in Chicago. Sharan presented on why Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chor Divas on this auspicious day to both the children and the staff at CHAP.

    All the children were given gifts. The staff and children also got to eat some Indian snacks and sweets. Then everyone got to light some candles and play with sparklers in the backyard of the facility! The children were very appreciative of the opportunity to celebrate this holiday as many of these unaccompanied minors had arrived almost 5 years ago and have not had a chance to celebrate Bandi Chor Divas since then. One of the girls even said that the sweets she got to eat that day were her favorite! 

  • 09/01/2021

    Care for Detained Unaccompanied Minors

    In the recent months, Heartland Alliance has informed SALDEF that there are number of unaccompanied Sikh minors being housed at their centers. SALDEF has been collaborating with the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (ICDI), our local partners and Heartland Alliance to provide weekly spiritual care services to our Sikh children and ensure the needs of the children are being met.

  • 06/14/2021

    Care for Unaccompanied Minors

    With a record number of unaccompanied minors including teens and children who arrive at the border every week, SALDEF is continuing to monitor and support the work being done at Heartland Alliance. As these numbers increase, SALDEF will continue to provide care and resources needed for any Sikh Unaccompanied minors including the opportunity to be fairly represented in immigration courts.

  • 04/08/2021

    Care for Detained Sikh Unaccompanied Minors

    With a record number of unaccompanied minors including 18,890 teens and children who arrived at the border in the past several weeks, SALDEF is continuing to monitor and support the work being done at Heartland Alliance. As these numbers increase and the challenges of the pandemic overwhelms U.S. shelter capacity and produces crisis-level crowding inside government border tents, SALDEF will continue to provide care and resources needed for any Sikh Unaccompanied minors including the opportunity to be fairly represented in immigration courts.

Name Donation Date
Match Fund $100.00 November 2024
Anonymous $100.00 November 2024
G. S. $25.00 October 2024
Anonymous $1,000.00 October 2024
G. S. $25.00 September 2024
G. S. $25.00 August 2024
G. S. $25.00 July 2024
R. K. $20.00 June 2024
G. S. $25.00 June 2024
R. K. $20.00 May 2024
G. S. $25.00 May 2024
G. S. $25.00 April 2024
Rajinder Bilkhu $250.00 March 2024
G. S. $25.00 March 2024
G. S. $25.00 February 2024
G. S. $25.00 January 2024
A. S. $750.00 December 2023
G. S. $25.00 December 2023
G. S. $25.00 December 2023
G. S. $25.00 October 2023
G. S. $25.00 September 2023
G. S. $25.00 August 2023
J. K. $10.00 July 2023
G. S. $25.00 July 2023
G. S. $25.00 June 2023
G. S. $25.00 May 2023
G. S. $25.00 April 2023
Amarjit K. Pannu $51.00 April 2023
G. S. $25.00 March 2023
G. S. $25.00 February 2023
G. S. $25.00 January 2023
A. M. $33.00 January 2023
Navneet Kaur Anand Singh $50.00 December 2022
G. S. $25.00 December 2022
G. S. $25.00 December 2022
Match Fund $501.00 November 2022
Anonymous $501.00 November 2022
Administrator Dasvandh Network $500.00 November 2022
Match Fund $100.00 November 2022
Anahat Kaur Sandhu $100.00 November 2022
Match Fund $250.00 November 2022
Match Fund $250.00 November 2022
Prebhdev Singh $250.00 November 2022
G. S. $25.00 October 2022
G. S. $25.00 September 2022
G. S. $25.00 August 2022
G. S. $25.00 July 2022
G. S. $25.00 June 2022
G. S. $25.00 May 2022
S. S. $25.00 May 2022
Anonymous $100.00 May 2022
Anonymous $150.00 April 2022
G. S. $25.00 April 2022
Anonymous $500.00 April 2022
S. S. $25.00 April 2022
G. S. $25.00 March 2022
Jasmeet Kaur $100.00 March 2022
S. S. $25.00 March 2022
Administrator Dasvandh Network $500.00 March 2022
Anonymous $25.00 February 2022
Anonymous $400.00 January 2022
Inderpreet Singh $21.00 December 2021
Anonymous $1,000.00 December 2021
Anonymous $51.00 December 2021
Anonymous $200.00 December 2021
Nicole Bedi $500.00 December 2021
Anonymous $50.00 November 2021
H. R. $140.00 November 2021
Vikram Singh $50.00 November 2021
Jasbir Mann $50.00 November 2021
Match Fund $400.00 November 2021
Arvinder Kaur $400.00 November 2021
Match Fund $100.00 November 2021
Gurcharnjit Sickand $100.00 November 2021
Match Fund $400.00 November 2021
mohan dhillon $1,050.00 November 2021
Match Fund $20.00 November 2021
Anonymous $20.00 November 2021
Match Fund $40.00 November 2021
P. R. $40.00 November 2021
Match Fund $100.00 November 2021
Inder Gadh $100.00 November 2021
Match Fund $250.00 November 2021
Ishdeep Singh $250.00 November 2021
Sharanpreet Singh $400.00 November 2021
Match Fund $100.00 November 2021
Gurpal Bhuller $100.00 November 2021
Anonymous $200.00 November 2021
Anonymous $500.00 October 2021
rupinder mann $100.00 September 2021
Harpreet Singh $1,000.00 August 2021
Anonymous $4,000.00 August 2021
Administrator Dasvandh Network $500.00 June 2021
Inder Preet Singh $250.00 June 2021
Anonymous $280.00 June 2021
Anonymous $100.00 May 2021
Karam Singh $300.00 December 2020
sara pearl $50.00 November 2020
Match Fund $250.00 November 2020
Gurpal Bhuller $250.00 November 2020
Match Fund $250.00 November 2020
P. S. $250.00 November 2020

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