Sikh communities fear immigration raids at temples as Trump ends sanctuary for houses of worship

NBC News

15-02-2025

After the Trump administration said it would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in houses of worship, hundreds of members of a Sikh temple in New York have stopped attending services regularly. Another gurdwara, or temple, in West Sacramento, California, has been fielding a half dozen calls daily from members fearful of immigration raids. And others are concerned that community members will begin to forgo essential services often offered in these sacred spaces.
Gurdwara Sahib West Sacramento is among the dozens of religious groups that have sued the Trump administration over the past few weeks after the removal of restrictions that prevented ICE from conducting raids in places considered 'sensitive' locations. Across the U.S., members of the Sikh community, who are largely of Indian descent, said they have already seen how anxieties around being caught up in the ongoing immigration crackdown have impeded the way in which some, including naturalized citizens, practice their faith.
'People will stop going to the temple and the mosque and different places, because they're going to feel threatened,' said Narinder Singh Thandi, president of Gurdwara Sahib West Sacramento. 'This is only a holy place that people come for help. People come to pray. They should be able to enjoy the freedom of the United States of America.'
The policy that prevented ICE agents from entering so-called sensitive locations, including playgrounds, schools and hospitals, without approval from supervisors had remained intact through several administrations, including during President Donald Trump's first term. But the president rescinded the rule in January, prompting widespread criticism from religious groups and civil rights organizations. The White House did not respond to NBC News' questions about fears around attending worship services or the ongoing lawsuits.
The suit that the West Sacramento gurdwara joined as a plaintiff last week, which was first filed by a group of Quaker congregations at the end of January, argued that 'the very threat of that [immigration] enforcement deters congregants from attending services, especially members of immigrant communities.' And this week, another two dozen Christian and Jewish groups filed a separate suit, arguing that the new policy infringes on religious freedom.
Thandi said that his gurdwara, which serves between 1,500 and 5,000 people during gatherings, has not been visited by immigration agents so far. But reports of sweeps in the Bay Area, a less than two-hour drive from Sacramento, have had many on edge, Thandi said. And the removal last week of some 100 Indian undocumented immigrants using a military plane has further amplified concerns among worshippers. He said he's had to field several calls each day from concerned worshippers who often inquire about the possibility of ICE raids at the temple, along with other questions about how to keep themselves safe.
Thandi also said while the gurdwara provides food throughout the day, he's noticed that around 100 or so people have shifted their meal times, opting to eat during less crowded hours, rather than join in the typical post-service lunch. He thinks the shift may be in order to avoid any potential encounters with ICE.
Though attendance is holding so far, he said he's '100% sure' that won't be the case for long if protections over houses of worship aren't reinstated. That's why his temple joined the lawsuit. Thandi added that in addition to mounting concerns among worshippers, the looming potential of ICE raids invites the possibility that the sanctity of their space will not be respected.
'We follow protocol. When we go inside, we sit on the floor and we take the shoes off. We cover our heads,' Thandi said. 'We don't want to have anything like an immigration officer come with the shoes on. … We don't know what he has in his pocket. We definitely do not allow weapons.' (While Sikhs are required to carry a kirpan, or article of faith that resembles a knife or sword, it's worn as a symbol of compassion, not violence, and remains sheathed.)
There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs and more than 350 gurdwaras across the country, according to the Sikh Coalition, a national civil rights nonprofit. The group, who first arrived in the U.S. in the 1800s, have largely made homes in New York and California. But other areas have also become major cultural hubs, including Chicago, Oklahoma City and Dallas. While there's no specific data on undocumented Sikhs, there are roughly 725,000 Indian undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to 2021 Pew Research Center estimates.
A Queens, New York-based gurdwara, the Sikh Cultural Society, has experienced a roughly 10% dip in attendance, translating to around 200 fewer worshippers, its president, Jatinder Boparai, said. Those without documents, he said, likely 'do not want to take a chance.'
Boparai said that given the purpose of holy spaces, he agrees with those who have waged the lawsuits.
'Worship places are not supposed to become any ICE raids because people want to pray. We pray, especially the Sikh religion, for the whole world,' Boparai said.
Still, Boparai said that he believes the government has 'every right' to conduct immigration sweeps, and that the crackdown isn't necessarily a surprise given Trump's campaign promises. The majority of the worshippers have remained committed to going, he said, and there haven't been any raids at the temple.
'I'm a good citizen,' he said. 'I agree with my government.'
Harpreet Singh Toor, a Sikh and longtime community leader in Queens, New York, said the tense environment has even caused distress for some green card holders and naturalized citizens. Toor said he's spoken to several people who have long had U.S. citizenship, but are fearful that any minor brushes with the law decades ago could land them in hot water with immigration officials. And families have been canceling their international travel plans out of concerns that they won't be allowed back in the country, he said.
Trump's immigration raids have indeed snagged citizens, including one military veteran in Newark, New Jersey, who was detained and questioned by ICE.
Toor said that at this point, anxiety around immigration has leached into numerous aspects of life outside the temple as well.
'Traffic is down in businesses,' Toor said. 'Businesses are complaining about it. Traffic is down in places of worship, whether it is mosque or gurdwara.'
Sikh gurdwaras are integral spaces for many community members, particularly Indian immigrants, serving as a center of social and commercial life. That makes the current immigration environment all the more distressing, said Harman Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition. Singh said that he's heard from gurdwaras across the country that attendance has been dropping, which could mean that some worshippers are forgoing critical care.
'That's really heartbreaking, because obviously our houses of worship are places people go not just for worship, but also for community, for essential services that they need,' Singh said. 'That includes everything from mental health care to physical health to a sense of belonging.'
Singh also mentioned that Sikhs, a minority in India, have long experienced persecution in their homeland. But concerns around their safety in the U.S. are now heightened, particularly after an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York City was uncovered in 2023. The issue of immigration has added yet another layer of tension, he said.
'Folks experiencing religious persecution in India may be coming here to the United States to seek asylum,' Singh said. 'Now those very same people are worried about their safety on U.S. soil, and also now are worried about this added risk to their immigration status.'