US House of Representatives pass bill to name federal building after slain Sikh cop

The US House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to honour Indian-American police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal who was killed in the line of duty in 2019. The bipartisan bill, Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act, will name a post office in Houston after the slain Indian-American Sikh cop.

The Senate has to pass the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act before the US President Donald Trump signs it into law. The slain Harris County Sheriff's deputy was the first observant Sikh to serve in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the entire Houston delegation had decided to co-sponsor the legislation to honour the life and legacy.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher told the House on September 14 the Dhaliwal represented “the very best of our community” with his work for equality, connection, and community. Fletcher said that Dhaliwal was widely regarded as a role model for Americans of all faiths and was also one of the first officers in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to wear his Sikh articles of faith while patrolling to bolster cultural diversity.

“The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office will serve as a permanent reminder of his service, his sacrifice, and his example for us all. I am grateful that my legislation to honour his memory has passed the House of Representatives today and is one step closer to being signed into law,” she said.

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Sikh Coalition calls it 'historic'

Sim J. Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy, said in a statement that the naming a federal building after the deputy is a historic and deeply meaningful acknowledgement for the Dhaliwal family and Sikh community. Dhaliwal’s father said that the building will serve as another permanent reminder of how much he meant to the family and the people of Houston. 

“My son was beloved by all in his community, and performed his job and participated in seva (selfless service) with respect, dignity, and care,” Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Dhaliwal’s father, said in a statement carried by Sikh Coalition.

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