Justice Roundup - November 2024

 DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS AT HOME: VP OF US ADVOCACY AND LITIGATION ANTHONY ENRIQUEZ ON THE WORK AHEAD OF US

No matter who occupies the presidency, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights will continue to fight to reduce the size, scope, and power of all forms of mass incarceration in American society. Read our full statement.

IMMIGRATION

AFTER REPORT DETAILS SYSTEMIC ABUSE, FEDERAL OVERSIGHT BODY OPENS NEW INVESTIGATION INTO NOTORIOUSLY ABUSIVE LOUISIANA ICE DETENTION CENTER 

In August, RFK Human Rights released a report documenting widespread abuse and inhumane treatment at immigration detention facilities throughout Louisiana. “I have no way to describe the cruelty that is experienced in segregation,” recalls Angel Argueta Anariba, a 46-year-old Honduran immigrant, who was placed in solitary confinement, subjected to constant verbal abuse, and violently assaulted by officers after engaging in peaceful hunger strikes while detained. Mr. Argueta Anariba, who suffered a severe shoulder injury from the assault, is still dealing with nerve damage, long-term pain, and disability from the incident. Now, two months after the report’s release, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) opened a new investigation into systemic abuse at Winn Correctional Center, one of the nine facilities covered in the report. The investigation will focus on excessive use of force by facility staff, physical and verbal misconduct, and inadequate conditions of detention related to environmental health and food service concerns. Learn more about the CRCL investigation → Read our report on human rights abuses against immigrants in Louisiana →  

ENVIRONMENT

RISING TEMPERATURES, RISING THREATS: THE GROWING RISK AND RESILIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE

From the burning rainforests of the Amazon to the rising shores of the Pacific Islands, environmental defenders not only stand on the front lines of the fight against climate change—they’re also championing the rights of those who are most affected by environmental destruction, including Indigenous peoples, women, Afro-descendants, and rural communities. However, as the voices of environmental defenders grow stronger, so too do the threats against them, with many facing physical violence, exploitation, and relentless criminalization designed to silence their advocacy. In celebration of Climate Week, we highlighted 5 emblematic cases that are building new standards for how courts consider the experiences of climate defenders.  Read more →  

TAKE ACTION: JOIN OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS

• Pens For Press—Amnesty for Carlos Ávila: On the Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, RFK Human Rights launched the Pens for the Press campaign on behalf of persecuted Honduran journalist Carlos Ávila. For over a decade, Ávila has faced prolonged legal persecution and judicial harassment in Honduras for reporting on sexual harassment claims filed by four underage students against a professor at the José Cecilio del Valle Institute. He is now awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on his amnesty request. Join us in calling for the Court to grant Ávila amnesty—learn more and send an email to the court! 

• Submit your nomination for the 2025 Human Rights Award: Each year, the RFK Human Rights Award honors outstanding champions of social justice who stand up to oppression, even at great personal risk, in the nonviolent pursuit of human rights. Now, you can help us honor Robert F. Kennedy’s legacy and promote the work of dedicated human rights defenders around the world—if you know of a person or group fighting for justice, submit their name by December 15, 2024. Learn more and nominate a human rights defender today!

AFRICA

ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS' ENGAGEMENT AT THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS 

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights participated in the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, The Gambia, on October 15-25, 2024. The ACHPR is the treaty body of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights treaty, which mandates the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa. Reflecting on the panel discussions they engaged in, Senior Staff Attorneys Ikechukwu Uzoma and Sofia Jaramillo discuss key takeaways and themes from the sessions, including the significant challenges facing civic space across various regions in Africa, and the role that rights holders can play in guaranteeing a transparent and merit-based nomination and selection process for the African human rights system. Read more →  

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

IMMIGRANT AND RACIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS FILE AMICUS BRIEF ON SYSTEMIC RACIAL BIAS IN IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS

Systemic racial bias in the criminal and immigration systems leaves people of color, and especially Black people, more likely to be arrested, convicted, deported, and harshly punished. With over 70 percent of respondents in immigration proceedings appearing pro se—without an attorney—immigration judges’ duty to develop the record of systemic racial bias is often all that stands between a respondent’s right to remain in the United States and permanent banishment to persecution and torture. An amicus brief filed by RFK Human Rights and partners shares the stories of people whose pro se immigration proceedings were tarred by systemic racial bias, and argues that immigration judges have a duty to develop the record of systemic racial bias faced by pro se Black and other respondents of color.  Read more →  

ARUSHA INITIATIVE

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: A RECAP OF THE ARUSHA INITIATIVE TOWN HALL

The first-ever Arusha Initiative Town Hall brought together a vibrant mix of advocates for an evening of insightful discussions and collaboration. Held on October 9th, the event aimed to engage members in shaping the future of the Initiative through dialogue on key issues related to the African human rights system. With Dr. Japhet Biegon sharing valuable insights, attendees exchanged ideas and aspirations, reinforcing the importance of collective support for the initiative's objectives. This landmark event marks a significant step in collaborative efforts and greater awareness of the African human rights system and the Arusha Initiative.  Read the full recap for more key takeaways →  

RFK HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE NEWS

• Sarah Decker in Bloomberg—Thousands of detainees have been jammed into jails Biden vowed to close: Asylum seekers in immigration detention facilities often face punitive conditions and lack access to translation, legal, and medical services. “It’s virtually indistinguishable from criminal detention, with the exception that people in civil immigration detention actually aren’t provided with a right to an attorney, as they are in the criminal system,” Sarah Decker told Bloomberg. 
• Sarah Decker in Verite News—Lack of translation services pervasive in Louisiana immigration detention, advocates say: A recent RFK Human Rights report showed a “systematic denial of language access” that prevented asylum seekers from receiving protections and blocked their access to medical and legal services at Winn Correctional Center. Now, advocates say that language access issues stretch beyond that facility: “People are detained and trapped in these jails and don’t have access to any materials in their language, let alone interpretation services to help them actually complete the [asylum] application and they’re unrepresented,” said RFKHR Staff Attorney Sarah Decker.
• Sarah Decker in Lohud—New York man deported to Haiti, though he’s not a Haitian citizen, tells his story: Paul Pierrilus details his harrowing experience being deported to Haiti, despite not ever having set foot in the country, in a new Lohud report. “The pardon could help open a pathway for Pierrilus to receive humanitarian parole because his current situation is so precarious,” RFKHR Staff Attorney Sarah Decker told Lohud. 
• Sarah Decker in Verite News—Louisiana immigration lockup fails to provide translation services for detainees, complaint alleges: U.S. Staff Attorney Sarah Decker spoke with Verite News about the lack of language access at Winn Correctional Center, a Louisiana immigration detention facility. “What has resulted in Winn, as one of the largest facilities in the region, is that they just simply don’t have the structure to support people who are non-English speakers,” Decker said.
• Angelita Baeyens in Voice of America—Bangladeshi families look to commission for answers on enforced disappearances: With the Bangladeshi interim government’s announcement of a new commission to investigate enforced disappearances during the former Prime Minister’s term, families hope they can finally find closure and seek justice. “The commission of inquiry has a monumental task ahead, especially because there are still perpetrators in high places that will do anything they can to secure continued impunity,” Angelita Baeyens, VP of International Advocacy and Litigation, told Voice of America. “But we hope it is a successful effort and that the victims can finally find answers.”
• Sarah Decker in Bloomberg—New report highlights shocking abuses faced by migrants in ICE detention centers in Louisiana: A new RFK Human Rights report featured in Bloomberg highlights shocking abuses faced by migrants in ICE detention centers in Louisiana. “We see these jails almost as ‘black sites’ in the national immigration system… The existence of these facilities in Louisiana cannot be maintained. This entire network of jails must be shut down,” said U.S. Staff Attorney Sarah Decker, one of the report’s lead authors.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 14 at 1 p.m. ET—RFKHR Book Club—The Movement, by Clara Bingham: On the next installment of our RFKHR Book Club, author Clara Bingham will discuss her latest book, The Movement. Through the captivating individual voices of the people who lived it, The Movement tells the intimate inside story of what it felt like to be at the forefront of the modern feminist crusade. We hope you’ll join us for the discussion!
• December 11—2024 Ripple of Hope Award Gala, New York, NY: This year's laureates include Susan Clark Livingston, partner at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.; Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter, actor, director, and producer; Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Investments; and Tom Wilson, chair, president, and CEO of The Allstate Corporation. The laureates will be honored on Wednesday, December 11, at a ceremony in New York City emceed by Alec Baldwin. Learn more about this year’s laureates and register for the ceremony.
• December 15—Deadline to submit a nomination for the 2025 RFK Human Rights Award: You can help us honor Robert F. Kennedy’s legacy and promote the work of dedicated human rights defenders around the world. Learn more about the nomination process, and if you know of a person or group fighting for justice, submit their name by December 15, 2024.

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