Sikh asylum seekers banned from wearing turbans |
Facing massive overcrowding at its detention facilities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is housing hundreds of South Asian asylum seekers at a medium security federal prison in Victorville, Calif., where Sikhs are banned from wearing their turbans and provided no access to vegetarian food, in violation of federal laws. Indian American attorney Munmeeth Soni, co-legal director of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, said this was the first time in recent U.S. history that ICE detainees have been contracted out to the Bureau of Prisons. We are criminalizing asylum seekers and telling them they have committed a serious crime, stated Soni. This is a complete violation of the spirit of our laws, which protect people fleeing violence and persecution, she said. Attorney Deepak Ahluwalia, who works extensively on Sikh asylum cases, and serves on the Sikh Coalition`s advisory board, said it was quite shocking.
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