Our Voices
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Law & Crime – ‘Downright frightening’: Judge scorches Trump administration for saying that detainees can’t argue due process violations if they would have been detained anyway
The Trump Administration’s green light to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to detain and hold a man from West Africa who has lived in the United States for more than three decades violated the man’s due process rights and ICE’s own regulations, according to a federal judge who also called the move “downright frightening.”
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The New York Times: Immigrants From Around the Country Keep Getting Detained in Louisiana. It’s No Coincidence.
Tags Share For years, Louisiana has been a hotspot for immigrant detention, second only to Texas. Referencing recent high-profile cases of detained students, this New York Times article explores the factors behind Louisiana’s growing prominence in the United States’ immigration incarceration regime. The article also describes inhumane conditions, abuse, and neglect across the Louisiana ICE
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Reuters: US Lawyer for Venezuelans Held in El Salvador Says Government Denied Her Access To Clients
Tags Share During a press conference in El Salvador, human rights advocate Kerry Kennedy condemned the Salvadoran government for denying legal access to clients, including over 250 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. to a maximum-security prison under a controversial agreement. Reuters has reported Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, criticized President Nayib Bukele’s administration for
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International Organizations Call for the Immediate Release of Iranian Human Rights Activist Reza Khandan
Tags Share Washington, D.C., April 29, 2025 – The Feminist Majority Foundation, PEN America, Right Livelihood, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and more than 1,600 activists from around the world are raising their voices to protest the ongoing arbitrary detention of Iranian human rights defender Reza Khandan and demand his immediate and unconditional release. Reza
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The Boston Globe: ICE is holding a Tufts PhD student at a Louisiana facility. Here’s what it’s like inside.
Tags Share The Boston Globe has reported that court filings, media coverage, and firsthand accounts reveal grim conditions inside the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center—known as Basile—where Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk is detained after expressing pro-Palestinian views. Öztürk’s case has drawn national attention and echoes widespread reports of inadequate medical care, unsanitary conditions, and
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Carrying Ethel Kennedy’s Legacy Forward at the Inaugural Young Women’s Leadership Summit
In honor of Ethel Kennedy’s legacy of courage, compassion, and lifelong advocacy, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, in partnership with Manhattanville University, was proud to host the first Young Women’s Leadership Summit on April 23, 2025. Held at the iconic Reid Castle, the event brought together 65 young women and 16 advisors for a day…
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SJS and RFK Human Rights condemn the ban on reporting and attacks on journalists in Somalia
Tags Share MOGADISHU/WASHINGTON DC – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and RFK Human Rights strongly denounce the trend of attacks on journalists amidst the worsening security environment in Somalia. Somali authorities must uphold their legal obligations to guarantee freedom of expression for journalists and all Somali citizens. In recent months, freedom of the press in
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Associated Press: Civil rights groups sue to restore jobs at Homeland Security oversight offices that were gutted
Tags Share Three advocacy groups are suing the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Kristi Noem, seeking to restore staff jobs at three gutted offices that oversee civil rights protections across the department’s broad mission. The lawsuit was filed Thursday by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, the Southern Border Communities Coalition, and the Urban Justice Center. On March
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The AP: As Immigrant Arrests Surge, Complaints of Abuse Mount At America’s Oldest Detention Center In Miami
Tags Share The United States’ oldest immigration detention facility has a long history of abuse – a history that shows no signs of abating amid the Trump administration’s increased efforts to detain and deport immigrants. The Associated Press reports on inhumane conditions and overcrowding at Krome Detention Center in Miami, highlighting the lack of accountability for
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New York Times: Lawsuit Aims to Reverse Firings at Internal Oversight Offices Within D.H.S.
Tags Share An assortment of advocacy groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday aimed at stopping the Department of Homeland Security from permanently shuttering its internal oversight divisions after the Trump administration fired critical staff members, grinding operations to a halt. The lawsuit was filed in New York and brought by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights,
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Bloomberg Government: Homeland Agency’s Dismantling of Oversight Units Draws Lawsuit
Tags Share Immigrants’ rights groups, including Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s dismantling key oversight offices. According to Bloomberg Government, the suit accuses DHS of violating the Constitution and federal law by shuttering its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and related teams. These
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