AAA Newsletter (9/23/26)

Stay updated with AAA! Here’s some recent news highlights on Asian American political issues…

1. Gurvinder Singh, a Sikh Truck Driver, was attacked.
2. The Supreme Court blocks restrictions on mail-in ballots.
3. New policies further restrict green card access.
4. Many immigrants may be left out of the new U.S. census.

Gurvinder Singh, a Sikh Truck Driver, was Attacked Following DHS Posts

On September 13, Gurvinder Singh was attacked at a rest stop, suffering 17 stab wounds. Just four days earlier, the DHS had posted an image of Harjinder Singh—another Sikh truck driver—and Optimus Prime. It was captioned, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.” It was specifically referencing a car accident in August 2025, where Harjinder Singh and a minivan collided, resulting in three deaths. He was accused of making an illegal U-turn, but pleaded not guilty.

More than just Harjinder Singh, however, the DHS’s post continues to stigmatize many Sikh Americans. The timing of the post—two days before September 11—also brings to mind the many Sikh men who were targeted in 2001 in anti-Muslim attacks, because of their attire.

Sikh truck drivers have especially been a point of emphasis from the Trump administration, as the Transportation Department’s new regulations restrict many immigrants from receiving commercial driver’s licenses. Specifically, the regulations would deny many with temporary legal status and valid work permits, including asylum-seekers and DACA recipients. Nearly 200,000 immigrants could lose their licenses, despite the fact that immigrant truck drivers are not any more likely to get into car accidents.

Read more here.

The Supreme Court Blocks Restrictions on Mail-In Ballots

More than any other racial group, Asian Americans vote by mail-in ballots. However, following an executive order from the Trump administration, states would have had to turn over lists of voters’ names and addresses to the USPS to be able to vote. Many have disputed this policy as not under the USPS’s authority. Further, changes in mail-in voting so close to Election day would likely only cause further confusion about which ballots are valid.

On September 14, the Supreme Court ruled against the restrictions for the midterm elections. In his concurring opinion, Justice Kavanaugh wrote that “applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious.” However, he still sees potential for the rule to be implemented in future elections, and the legal disputes will likely continue past midterm elections.

Read more here.

The Trump Administration’s Policies Further Restrict Green Cards

Put in place on September 18, green cards may now be withheld from people if they, or some of their relatives, use any public benefits—from Medicaid to food stamps, and even student financial aid. This policy relies on the existing rule that immigrants can be barred from obtaining green cards if they are deemed likely to become a “public charge.” While this has previously been focused on major cash benefits, the Trump administration has expanded it to any form of benefit. The exact wording is vague, which further opens up the possibility for very minimal benefits to be used against green card seekers.

The Trump administration was sued over this policy on September 14, for the harm it could cause many immigrant families. It would force them to choose between forgoing basic needs or risking being denied green cards. The policy would also likely hurt many states, by resulting in less federal funding and potentially straining emergency rooms. It is already the case that many immigrants are not eligible for public benefits—this policy would only exacerbate the number of people in need.

Read more here.

Changes to Census Calculations May Leave out Many Immigrants

On September 9, the Trump administration announced that the census would exclude undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers and anyone without permanent status. It also argued that the census “should be colorblind and should not be distorted in any way by questions about immaterial personal characteristics, such as race.”

However, disparities between census data and the real population of people living in the U.S. could cause major issues. For one, the number of seats in the House of Representatives is determined through the census data—and excluding some groups of immigrants may change the distributions of seats (see NYT's predictions below). Further, many research centers will now struggle more in studying discrimination, crime rates and wealth gaps. This, too, might have major impacts on public programs that use census data to adjust policies.

Read more here.