Sikh organisations in the United States have expressed strong opposition after officials from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted search operations in gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey as part of the Trump administration's nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.

In response, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDF) stated that these actions were undermining the "sanctity" of the Sikh faith and sending a "chilling message" to immigrant communities across the country. The SALDF also referenced a previous ruling by the Republican administration, which set guidelines that had previously protected sensitive areas from enforcement actions.

“We are deeply alarmed by the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to eliminate protections for sensitive areas and then target places of worship like gurdwaras,” Kiran Kaur Gill, the executive director of SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund), was quoted by PTI.

"This troubling shift in policy comes in tandem with community reports of DHS agents visiting gurdwaras in the New York and New Jersey areas just days after the directive was issued," it added.

The Sikh Coalition also expressed the decision would prevent the community from holding religious gatherings. “The idea that our gurdwaras could be subject to government surveillance and raids by armed law enforcement with or without warrants is unacceptable to the Sikh faith tradition. If Sikhs—whether documented or undocumented—are concerned with gurdwara raids and surveillance, gurdwaras may well be impacted by decreased attendance, and thus an inability to carry out essential religious practices in a meaningful manner,” it said. 

In his foremost prominent executive order, Donald Trump initiated an intense crackdown on individuals living illegally in the United States. As part of this operation, military aircraft were used to deport immigrants back to their home countries. One such plane landed in Manaus, Brazil, carrying 88 Brazilians in handcuffs.

On Sunday, two US military aircraft also transported Colombian nationals. Initially, Colombia had refused to accept its citizens, prompting the Trump administration to threaten the country with tariffs and sanctions. However, Colombia reversed its stance after the threat and sent its presidential plane to ensure the "dignified return" of its nationals.