WASHINGTON (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — Sikhs for Justice, a prominent US based Sikh advocacy organisation, has called on President Donald J. Trump to expand his 2025 immigration restrictions to include India, arguing that the country now presents a national security risk to the United States while also persecuting its Sikh minority.
In a detailed letter addressed to the White House, the group urged the administration to impose a complete immigration ban on Indian nationals while creating a protected exemption for Sikhs whom it describes as facing an existential threat under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The organisation asserts that India fits the criteria of states already listed under Trump’s 19 country restriction order, citing allegations of extremism, repression and non cooperation with American security agencies. It further argues that India’s policies and actions have harmed US interests by exporting instability, undermining federal immigration systems and participating in activities that the group claims directly challenge American sovereignty.
According to Sikhs for Justice, India’s technology outsourcing industry has enabled large scale importation of low wage H 1B workers who have displaced American employees and depressed wages. The letter references recent federal indictments involving Indian nationals accused of H 1B visa fraud, false pretences in immigration filings, labour violations and exploitation of loopholes for commercial gain. These cases, the organisation argues, justify classifying India as a problematic country under US immigration law.
The group also highlights indictments in US federal courts that link Indian pharmaceutical suppliers and brokers to exports of fentanyl precursor chemicals routed through trafficking networks to Mexico. Sikhs for Justice claims that these exports have exacerbated the American overdose crisis and meet the threshold for a national security review.
A central part of the letter focuses on the treatment of Sikhs in India, alleging systematic discrimination, criminalisation of political opinion, excessive use of security laws, torture, surveillance abroad and targeted killings of Sikh activists. The group insists that Sikhs who support Khalistan or express Sikh political identity are persecuted and should therefore be granted a specific immigration exemption similar to protections offered to refugees fleeing conflict zones.
Sikhs for Justice lays out three demands for the Trump administration. It seeks an immigration ban on Indian nationals, a dedicated exemption for Sikhs able to demonstrate persecution and a crackdown on what it alleges is extensive abuse of the H 1B system by Indian outsourcing companies. The organisation argues that these steps would protect American workers, secure the country against foreign interference and offer refuge to a vulnerable minority.
The letter concludes that such a ban would advance the America First framework by preventing fentanyl related threats, safeguarding American jobs and signalling that the United States will not reward governments accused of repression. It urges President Trump to apply the same standard to India that he previously applied to other restricted countries, positioning the move as both a national security measure and a moral obligation.
