U.S. Advocacy and Litigation

The U.S. Advocacy and Litigation program fights mass incarceration in American society by exposing and stopping serious human rights abuses in the U.S. criminal and immigration systems.

We work for systemic change that guarantees respect for everyone’s human rights.

Everyone deserves fair and equal treatment from police, no matter race or color. We defend the human right to freedom from racial discrimination.

Everyone deserves respect for their inherent dignity from police. We defend the human right to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Everyone deserves to be able to safely interact with police. We defend the human right to freedom from extrajudicial killings.

Everyone deserves due process if police take away their liberty. We defend the human right to freedom from arbitrary detention.


We go to court with human rights defenders pursuing systemic change.


We uncover wrongdoing in reports, complaints, and public hearings.


We inform the public and policymakers about systemic human rights abuses and how to stop them.

New year, new us. Same mission.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is rebranding to honor the legacy of our founder and hero, Mrs. Ethel Skakel Kennedy. From now on, we will proudly be known as the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center

While our name is changing, our mission and work remain the same. We will continue to fight injustice, advance human rights, and hold governments accountable around the world in 2026 and beyond.