Sikh Immigrant Legal Justice Fellow (1-Year Fellowship)

Sikh Coalition•New York, NY

35d•$75,000 - $90,000

About The Position

About the Sikh Coalition The Sikh Coalition is the nation’s largest Sikh civil rights organization, dedicated to safeguarding the rights of all individuals while advancing justice for the Sikh community. Sikh immigrants, alongside other minority community members, now face high risks of detention and deportation due to the current administration’s mass deportation agenda. Once detained, Sikh immigrants often lack access to religious accommodations, language support, and culturally competent legal representation. To address this systemic gap, the Sikh Coalition is launching a national habeas litigation project to challenge the unlawful arrests and wrongful deportations of Sikh immigrants, as well as the dangerous and discriminatory detention conditions they face. Position Overview We are seeking a Sikh Immigrant Legal Justice Fellow for a one-year full-time fellowship with our legal team with the possibility of a one-year extension dependent on funding. The Legal Justice Fellow will bring urgent habeas corpus petitions, challenge unlawful arrests and detention, and address civil rights and religious accommodation violations affecting Sikh detainees nationwide. The Fellow will be mentored and supervised by Legal Director Munmeeth (“Meeth”) Kaur.

Requirements

J.D. and bar admission in U.S. state with preference for CA, NY, WA, FL, or TX
Minimum 2 to 4 years experience as post-graduate fulltime lawyer or judicial clerkship is preferred
Strong legal research and writing skills; experience or demonstrated interest in federal litigation, habeas work, or immigration law.
Must be self-motivated, energetic, capable of working in a dynamic, fast paced environment, and able to adjust to shifting priorities
Commitment to immigrant rights, civil rights, and culturally competent advocacy.
Ability to travel for detention visits, hearings, and community outreach.

Nice To Haves

Punjabi language skills preferred but not required; cultural competency with Sikh faith and community strongly desired.

Responsibilities

Conduct intakes with Sikh detainees facing unlawful arrest, confinement, or deportation.
Draft, research, and litigate federal habeas petitions, TROs, and emergency motions.
Document violations related to language access, religious accommodations, and dangerous detention conditions.
Coordinate with pro bono partners to expand rapid response capacity.
Support community education efforts, including preparing and presenting Know Your Rights workshops and Punjabi/English resource materials.
Engage with gurdwaras, community partners, and families of detainees.
Help develop long-term strategy for habeas litigation practice.