Resolution to Rename Post Office for Late Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Passes Senate
December 3, 2020 — Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed H. Res. 5317, a resolution that would rename the post office at 315 Addicks Howell Road in Houston, Texas, after the late Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. This follows the September 14 passage of this resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it was originally introduced by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX). The resolution now goes to President Trump’s desk to be signed.
The Sikh Coalition, which worked with Congresswoman Fletcher on the original resolution and encouraged its passage in the Senate, applauds the bipartisan decision to honor Deputy Dhaliwal. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) worked with the Sikh Coalition to ensure that this resolution passed the Senate.
“Our family remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support in this effort to commemorate my son,” said Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Dhaliwal’s father. “This gesture will memorialize his legacy of service to his beloved Houston, while also reminding us all to uphold his example and celebrate the diversity that makes our and so many other communities strong.”
For the past year, the Sikh Coalition has worked alongside Texas lawmakers, Houston community leaders, and the Dhaliwal family to recognize Deputy Dhaliwal’s legacy and impact. On October 28, 2019, a congressional resolution was created in consultation with the Sikh Coalition and introduced in the House honoring him; the Sikh Coalition rallied hundreds of community members across the country to thank their lawmakers for this and Congresswoman Fletcher’s original resolution.
“We are very glad to see the Senate pass this important resolution and send it to the president’s desk” said Sim J. Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy. “Signing this resolution into law and commemorating Deputy Dhaliwal in his city is an important way to affirm both his legacy and the fact that conscious efforts towards diversity and inclusion serve our communities well.”
As a reminder, Deputy Dhaliwal was killed during a traffic stop in northwest Houston, Texas on September 27, 2019. He originally joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 2009; in 2015, he secured a historic, first-of-its-kind accommodation to wear his Sikh articles of faith while serving in uniform. Deputy Dhaliwal was widely regarded for breaking barriers for Sikhs and other religious minorities.