Whereas, on April 15, 2021, a shooter murdered 8 people in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center;

Whereas the victims included—

(1)

Matthew R. Alexander;

(2)

Samaria M. Blackwell;

(3)

Amarjeet Kaur Johal;

(4)

Jasvinder Kaur;

(5)

Amarjit Kaur Sekhon;

(6)

Jaswinder Singh;

(7)

Karli Ann Smith; and

(8)

John Steven Steve Weisert;

Whereas 2026 marks the fifth year since the loss of these innocent lives, 4 of whom were members of the Indianapolis Sikh community;

Whereas the shooting occurred in a location with a majority Sikh workforce, and in the context of a documented surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, xenophobic rhetoric, and violence targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the United States;

Whereas inflammatory narratives seek to disenfranchise and dehumanize Muslim, Arab, South Asian, Hindu, and Sikh communities collectively, and experts warn that such rhetoric can embolden individuals inspired by xenophobic conspiracy theories and other toxic ideologies to commit acts of violence, including those aligned with domestic extremist ideologies;

Whereas United States-based Sikhs have often been stigmatized and targeted because of their visible articles of faith and other aspects of their intersectional identities, facing increased discrimination and violence after September 11, 2001, due to widespread ignorance that conflated Sikhs with images of foreign terrorists on television;

Whereas the latest Federal hate crime statistics for 2024 show that Sikhs and Muslims continue to be among the most targeted religious groups for hate crimes, confirming persistent risk and ongoing harm;

Whereas national survey data show that the prevalence of experiencing a hate act based on race, ethnicity, or nationality rose for South Asian adults from 43 percent in 2023 to 54 percent in 2024 and remained high in 2025;

Whereas anti-South Asian slurs comprised 73 percent of all anti-Asian slurs in online spaces associated with targeted violence in 2025;

Whereas language access barriers, immigration status concerns, and lack of trust in law enforcement can contribute to underreporting of hate crimes and limit access to services for survivors;

Whereas AAPI communities across the country continue to grapple with grief, trauma, and the long-term mental health impacts of anti-Asian hate and require access to culturally responsive mental health services, trauma-informed care, and language-accessible support services to heal and rebuild;

Whereas the immigrant and refugee experience is often marked by intergenerational trauma and enduring mental distress, as communities fleeing persecution search for safety and the American Dream, only to face systemic violence and xenophobia that leaves a lasting impact on their collective psyche and well-being;

Whereas South Asians account for 73 percent of H–1B visa holders in the United States and have been falsely scapegoated in public discourse that frames Asian immigrants as stealing American jobs;

Whereas immigrant truckdrivers, including many from the Sikh and Punjabi communities as well as other AAPI communities, continue to be scapegoated in rhetoric and policy proposals for posing a risk to road safety despite a complete lack of evidence for such claims;

Whereas many South Asians make tremendous contributions serving underserved and rural communities as doctors through the Conrad–30 program;

Whereas inflammatory and hateful rhetoric exists in the context of discriminatory policies, like the suspension of visas for 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan;

Whereas South Asian communities currently face the highest volume of anti-Asian hostility observed in domestic violent extremist online spaces, with that hate manifesting in interpersonal and institutional spaces and as racism, xenophobia, and faith-based discrimination;

Whereas community reports underscore that anti-immigrant rhetoric and disinformation portraying South Asian immigrants as security threats continue to fuel hostility and do translate into real-world intimidation and violence; and

Whereas South Asian communities have contributed immeasurably to the cultural, civic, scientific, and economic life of the United States and deserve safety, dignity, and equal protection under the law: Now, therefore, be it