|
|
Immigration
Detention Center Reverses Turban Ban After Coalition Intervenes
WSN Network
Elizabeth, NJ: An
immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey reversed a ban
against turbans last week. Three detained Sikh men were barred from
wearing turbans for months. The facility changed its policy three
weeks after the Sikh Coalition intervened.
Three Sikhs were detained for immigration violations at the
Elizabeth Detention Center (EDC) by Immigrations Customs Enforcement
(ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security. EDC is run by a
private government contractor, Corrections Corporation of America
(CCA). The men were put in detention at various times within the
past 15 months. CCA disallowed them from wearing their turbans
during this time.
On October 7, 2007, a family friend of one of the Sikh detainees
contacted the Sikh Coalition requesting assistance. The Coalition
then contacted the family of the detained man, and subsequently was
able to communicate with all three Sikh detainees. All three asked
the Coalition for help to persuade the detention cention to allow
them to wear their turbans.
The Sikh Coalition spoke to the Chief of Security at EDC on October
12, 2007. The Coalition explained that their refusal to allow Sikh
detainees to wear turbans violated: 1) ICE's Detention Standards
regarding Religious Practices, and 2) the Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act.
The Coalition also raised the issue in a memorandum to ICE officials
on October 17, 2007 in preparation for an interagency meeting in
Washington, DC hosted by the Department of Justice. The next day,
the Legal Aid Society of New York and the Coalition also sent a
joint letter to the detention center's Warden, explaining that CCA
was violating the law.
On October 22, 2007, the Warden contacted the Legal Aid Society and
indicated that the center would allow the men to wear their
religious headwear subject to safety and security considerations.
The Coalition and Legal Aid Society attorneys discussed the Wardens'
concerns with the detainees.
Last week a family member of one of the detainees brought small
turbans to the detention center for the detained Sikhs. Detention
center officials inspected them and then gave them to the Sikh
detainees on October 31, 2007.
14
November, 2007
|
|
|
|
Bookmark with
Reddit
Yahoo
Furl
Delicious
|
|
Read Also