Sects Use Religious Visas for Unholy Activities in U.S.

Whereas People witness
continued chaos on the southern border, the Justice Division final week raided
a New Jersey Hindu temple accused of importing slave labor
from India. In contrast to migrants streaming
into this nation illegally, the temple employees arrived right here on non secular (R-1
and (R-2) visas.

These short-term visas allow
the entry of clergy and lay non secular employees akin to missionaries. However within the
case of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a Hindu sect
generally known as BAPS, a whole lot of low-caste Indian nationals have been exploited in a
years-long development challenge. They have been paid the equal of $1 an hour
for grueling compelled labor. BAPS confiscated the boys’s passports and confined
them to a guarded, fenced-in compound.

BAPS calls itself “a religious, volunteer-driven group devoted to bettering society by particular person development by fostering the Hindu beliefs of religion, unity and selfless service.” In truth, its Robbinsville, N.J., temple, or mandir, is a multimillion-dollar operation. Opened in 2014 however nonetheless below development, the group goals to have the most important Hindu temple within the U.S.

The BAPS operation shouldn’t be a
one-off aberration. Final yr, one other non secular outfit with one other lengthy identify
was busted up on the West Coast.

Officers on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Identify Above Each Identify (KOJC) have been charged with a bunch of immigration violations in Van Nuys, California. In keeping with the Justice Division, members have been introduced from the Philippines below false pretenses, their passports seized, and compelled to beg on the streets for a nonexistent youngster welfare entity.

The federal criticism cited
misuse of R-1 visas, in addition to vacationer visas, and detailed how bundles of money
and luxurious items have been despatched again to the Philippines.

Reporting on the case, the
Heart for Immigration Research quoted an announcement by employees. “In keeping with
Sufferer A, in addition to different victim-escapees, … along with appearing because the
KOJC’s chief’s private assistants, pastorals have been obligated to carry out ‘evening
obligation,’ i.e., have intercourse with the KOJC chief.”

Though Alejandro Mayorkas’ Division of Homeland Safety could not seem significantly energetic about imposing immigration legal guidelines, the prosecution of BAPS and KOJC are encouraging indicators that different federal companies are doing their jobs. Along with the FBI, the Inside Income Service is on the KOJC case.

Godspeed.