By Julian Gill
Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed a bill to name a Houston post office after slain Harris County sheriff’s deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, the first Sikh deputy to work for the agency, according to U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher.
Dhaliwal was gunned down in September 2019 during a routine traffic stop in the Cypress area. He was the first Sikh American in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to serve while wearing his articles of faith, including his turban and beard.
Dhaliwal was considered a trailblazer for other Sikh Americans and religious minorities interested in law enforcement. Thousands mourned last year at his funeral and spoke of his connection with people in his district, as well as his commitment to sharing his religion.
H.R. 5317, sponsored by Fletcher, says the post office located at 315 Addicks Howell Road in Houston’s Energy Corridor will be named the “Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office.” The bill was co-sponsored by the entire Texas delegation.
“I am very grateful to Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and her commitment to honoring my husband’s memory,” according to a statement from Harwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, the deputy’s wife. “He loved being a part of and serving his community. Naming a post office after him will honor his work and dedication, and I am happy that this bill has passed the House today.”
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