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Hindus for Human Rights slams Newsom veto of SB 509
The group said California must fund law enforcement training to protect communities from foreign intimidation.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 16, Oct 2025
- 02:43 EDT
- 22
Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) said newsom's veto undermined public safety and ignored the growing threat of foreign interference in American communities. / Wikipedia
Hindus for Human Rights said California “needs more than a placeholder on a website” after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 509, a bipartisan measure that sought to train law enforcement on identifying and addressing transnational repression.
The organization stated that “true safety cannot be achieved through symbolic gestures—it requires collaboration, accountability, and resources so that state governments can effectively support communities that are under attack from foreign authoritarians".
The bill, vetoed on Oct. 13, would have required police agencies to receive training on how to detect and respond to intimidation or harassment of U.S. residents by foreign governments. Newsom cited existing state programs under the California Office of Emergency Services as a reason for his decision, saying additional legislation was unnecessary.
ALSO READ: Newsom vetoes SB 509 after Indian American groups raise concerns
Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) said the veto undermined public safety and ignored the growing threat of foreign interference in American communities. “This bill would have equipped law enforcement with the training and tools necessary to identify, prevent, and respond to the intimidation of Americans by foreign governments,” the group said. “In doing so, the Governor undermined Californians’ security and their democratic and civil rights.”
The group said foreign intimidation has increasingly targeted activists, journalists, and community leaders, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds, for criticizing authoritarian regimes abroad. “At Hindus for Human Rights, we know what these attacks look like,” the statement read. “In fact, we have been the target of these kinds of attacks from the Government of India.”
HfHR linked the issue to broader national concerns. The FBI is investigating the drive-by shooting of a Sikh American in California as a potential act of transnational repression. The Hong Kong Democracy Council also reported that Chinese authorities surveilled and harassed protesters during President Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco.
Sikh American advocacy groups have also condemned the veto. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) called it “a setback for the safety and security of all Californians,” adding that the bill “would have closed a crucial protection gap for communities subject to intimidation or harassment by foreign actors.”
ALSO READ: Sikh advocacy groups decry Newsom’s Veto of SB 509
HfHR said it was troubled by Newsom’s decision to, in its view, heed pressure from organizations such as the Hindu American Foundation, Coalition of Hindus of North America, and HinduPACT. “These organizations have spread lies, fear, and misinformation within our communities to advance their right-wing ideological agenda,” the statement said, warning that such groups “have worked to shield the Government of India from accountability while enabling its efforts to intimidate Indians and Americans.”
Calling transnational repression “a grievous national security concern,” the group reaffirmed its commitment to continue working across communities “to expose, resist, and end the practice,” emphasizing that all individuals must be able to “practice their faith, express their conscience, and stand for justice—free from the reach of foreign governments and their proxies.”
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