SAALT was established as a national advocacy organization focused on racial justice and immigration rights for South Asians in the United States. Led for a decade by Deepa Iyer, one of the most prominent South Asian civil rights voices of the post-9/11 era, it became one of the most important institutional voices for the community in Congress and in the courts. Its impact was profound: it amplified the voices of marginalized, low-income South Asians, countered model minority narratives, and provided essential federal advocacy until it officially closed in 2024.
