Washington, DC – Today, in a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, 162 organizations—including nearly 20 Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) member organizations—joined the Sikh Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona (ACLU-AZ), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in calling for an end to the mistreatment of religious migrants by U.S. border officials in Arizona and at other border-crossing points.
In June and July, the ACLU received reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Arizona’s Yuma Sector have been confiscating Sikh migrants’ turbans and other possessions and throwing them in the trash. Subsequent reports also revealed that some Sikh migrants in Arizona’s Tucson Sector are being denied vegetarian meals and ordered by border officials to eat meat or starve. Based on previous complaints submitted to DHS, advocates believe these unlawful practices are also occurring at other border-crossing points outside of Arizona. Members of Congress have spoken out about the issue. Per public reporting, an investigation is currently underway.
The 162 civil rights, immigration, religious, advocacy, and other organizations write:
“For years, advocates and the media have repeatedly raised concerns about the seizure of religious headwear and other articles of faith, as well as the denial of religious diets by CBP. These practices not only affect Sikh individuals, but they also harm Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Christian migrants, among others. Furthermore, the unnecessary and cruel confiscation of migrants’ personal belongings extends beyond religious items … Time after time, DHS officials have assured the public and stakeholders that they take these concerns seriously, yet the violations continue. Alarmingly, these abuses have gone on for so long that they appear to have become standard operating procedure at the border, supplanting CBP’s own rules—which require religious sensitivity and the safeguarding of migrants’ personal property. It is now time for immediate and decisive action.”
The letter is the latest in a series of actions taken by advocates to address this urgent issue. The Sikh Coalition, ACLU-AZ, and ACLU sent letters of complaint to CBP in early August and have since continued to press senior DHS and other government leaders to respond in a transparent and comprehensive way. The letter urges DHS to adopt “an unambiguous statement of policy prohibiting this misconduct and detailing strict enforcement against any official or individual who violates this policy,” and it underscores the need for DHS to “undertake a full-scale reckoning of CBP’s and other agencies’ brazen disregard for migrants’ religious freedom and other rights.”
Sim J. Singh Attariwala, Sikh Coalition Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager said: “Sikh migrants are among the most vulnerable individuals coming to the United States—in many cases, fleeing a well-founded fear of religious persecution in their home countries. To have their religious and other rights immediately violated by CBP officers is a cruel irony, and this misconduct should not be tolerated.”
Noah Schramm, Border Policy Strategist at the ACLU of Arizona said: “The violation of migrants’ religious rights and confiscation of their property has been an ongoing issue for far too long, and we are grateful to our partner organizations on the ground for once again calling attention to this issue. It is increasingly clear that this problem is rooted in both the misconduct of individual officers and a troubling institutional culture within CBP.”
Jonathan Blazer, Director of Border Strategies at the ACLU said: “All migrants deserve to be treated with basic human dignity, including respect for their religious rights and personal possessions. More than 160 organizations are sending a clear message to the DHS that verbal assurances are not enough. We need a transparent investigation into why this practice has continued and an immediate policy change to stop it permanently.”
Katie Adams, Interim Chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition and Domestic Policy Advocate for the United Church of Christ said: “It is entirely unacceptable for a nation that has prided itself in its religious freedoms to be responsible for such an egregious violation of the religious rights of newcomers. As interfaith advocates that are allies with their Sikh siblings, we demand accountability for these actions by CBP and call for a renewed commitment to welcome one another with love and respect, as all of our faith traditions teach us.”
Read the complete letter and list of signatories here.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of over 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants. Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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