New York City, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Nearly 5,000 truckers and bus drivers have approached UNITED SIKHS for assistance since November 2025 as immigrant and minority drivers in the United States face growing concerns over immigration enforcement, driving licences and their livelihoods.
The Sikh humanitarian and advocacy organisation said the drivers reached out through its UMEED Helpline, which has emerged as a support channel for those affected by enforcement-related action. Many of those seeking assistance are immigrant drivers, including Punjabi Sikhs.
UNITED SIKHS said it has been working on several fronts, including legal advocacy, engagement with policymakers and government agencies, and direct assistance to affected drivers. The organisation has also challenged what it describes as arbitrary cancellations of Commercial Driver’s Licences (CDLs) and sought due process for drivers facing such action.
Bhupinder Kaur, Director of Operations at UNITED SIKHS and manager of the UMEED Helpline, said the organisation had received an overwhelming response from drivers seeking assistance.
“We were inundated. One driver told us he lost his license the same day his mother passed away. He couldn’t say goodbye, and now he struggles to provide for his family,” Kaur said.
According to UNITED SIKHS, cases reaching the helpline reflect not only regulatory and immigration-related difficulties but also the severe financial and personal consequences faced by drivers and their families when they lose their ability to work.
The organisation said it has taken these concerns beyond individual cases by engaging policymakers, civil-rights partners and the media to draw attention to the impact of enforcement measures on immigrant and minority drivers.
It maintains that such actions have disproportionately affected immigrant drivers, including a significant number of Punjabi Sikhs working in the American trucking industry.
UNITED SIKHS has also used rallies, public forums and digital campaigns to bring drivers’ experiences into the wider debate over immigration enforcement, due process and civil liberties.
The organisation said sharing the experiences of affected truckers was an important part of ensuring that their concerns reached both policymakers and the wider public.
Through its legal and policy advocacy as well as the UMEED Helpline, UNITED SIKHS said it would continue working to protect the livelihoods, dignity and equal treatment of Sikh and other immigrant truck drivers across the United States.
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