Whether it’s at the ballot box or in places of community and faith, we all have the right to safely vote and practice our beliefs. We belong here, and no attempt to scare our communities can change that.
Asian Law Caucus condemns the October 2026 attempted mass shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, IL.
Weeks before a pivotal election, this follows threatening actions directed at Asian immigrant communities across the country, including: Texas politicians conducting Islamophobic investigations and candidates attacking South Asian students at a football game, the Department of Homeland Security’s targeting of Sikh truck drivers, the fatal shooting at a San Diego mosque in May 2026, and concerns of illegal federal interference at polling sites in immigrant communities.
These are not isolated incidents. Today, we are in a climate supercharged by inflammatory rhetoric from some of the very government officials and offices meant to keep us safe.
Instead of our families, wellbeing, and health, this administration is focused on spreading fear to keep people from voting this November.
With escalating threats to Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, South Asian, Arab, and entire immigrant communities, there is no better time to show up for our neighbors, know our rights, and protect the multiracial democracy that is America, together.
We’ve got the power to make decisions about our lives without fear, and to work with leaders invested in challenging the conditions where hatred can flourish.
Three Actions We Can Take, Right Now:
1. Reject racist rhetoric and misinformation from officials and demand the data, resources, and reporting systems needed to protect our most vulnerable.
Community leaders who fought against anti-Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian violence following September 11 and the “War on Terror” have come together again–offering safety and anti-harassment trainings, mutual aid, and calls to action.
- Statement condemning the Aurora Hindu Temple Mass Shooting, SACRED and partners
- SAAPRI statement
- Video: October 15 Joint Press Conference organized by SACRED Democracy and CAIR Chicago
- Hindus for Human Rights commentary and social media post
Read recent reports and analysis of trends in anti-South Asian hate.
2. Understand when bad actors try to drive wedges between our communities, and commit to unlearn the biases and assumptions that get in the way of solidarity.
The South Asian Coalition, a network of organizations committed to uplifting connections within and outside of the South Asian diaspora, draws from powerful stories of survival and solidarity to call for change.
- 25 Years Later: Stories of Survival and Solidarity, South Asian Coalition
- Guide to Identifying and Responding to Anti-Asian Political Narratives, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
3. This November, we can show up for ourselves and our neighbors by making a plan to vote–and vote early, if possible–for our shared fate and future.
- Our country is strongest when all of us show up, participate and have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives, including choosing the leaders and laws that can help everybody thrive.
- Know Your Voting Rights, Asian Law Caucus
- Citizens in Action Know Your Rights Trainings
Resources
Know Your Rights
- Know Your Voting Rights, Asian Law Caucus
- Hindus for Human Rights: Know Your Rights Materials
- Know Your Rights Hub for Sikh Americans (The Sikh Coalition)
- South Asian Coalition Resource Hub
- Citizens in Action Know Your Rights Trainings
Safety Materials and Trainings
- Hindu for Human Rights: Request Temple Safety Training
- CAIR: Guide to Mosque and Community Safety
- Sikh Coalition: Gurdwara Security Toolkit
- October 24 Anti-Asian Harassment Training, SAAPRI
Statements
- Statement condemning the Aurora Hindu Temple Mass Shooting, SACRED and partners
- SAAPRI statement
- Video: October 15 Joint Press Conference organized by SACRED Democracy and CAIR Chicago
- Hindus for Human Rights commentary and social media post
Reports and Analysis on Trends in anti-South Asian Hatred
- Guide to Identifying and Responding to Anti-Asian Political Narratives, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
- 25 Years Later: Stories of Survival and Solidarity, South Asian Coalition
- Community Explainer: How Political Discourse Targets South Asian, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh Candidates, South Asian Coalition
- The State of South Asian Hate, Sept. 2026, Stop AAPI Hate
- Hate Against Sikhs and South Asians is Surging Online. The Trump Administration isn’t Helping, Sept. 2026, Global Project on Hate and Extremism
- The Rising Tide of Anti-South Asian Hate in the United States, Sept. 2026, Global Project on Hate and Extremism:
- South Asians Face Surging Racism in America, New York Times
- Manufacturing the Muslim Threat, April 2026, Center for the Study of Organized Hate
- Anti-South Asian Hate: It’s Gotten Worse, Nov. 2025, Stop AAPI Hate