Our Voices
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Verite News: Louisiana immigration lockup fails to provide translation services for detainees, complaint alleges
Tags Share A new federal civil rights complaint filed by RFKHR in tandem with other rights groups alleges widespread denial of interpreter and translation services to individuals detained in a Louisiana immigration facility. This lack of access has serious consequences for these individuals, who cannot adequately prepare for their immigration cases, understand crucial legal and…
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Charting the Course: Q&A with Tom Dinapoli, NYS Comptroller
Tags Share The urgency for action on the climate crisis continues to grow: July marked the 13th consecutive month that global average temperatures set new monthly records, and the 12th consecutive month of temperatures being 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The potential for even more record-breaking months ahead should underscore that climate change is a material risk…
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NBC News: States consider banning legacy admissions at universities, sparking debate
Tags Share An August 30 NBC News segment—featuring former John Lewis Young Leaders fellow and Cornell University student Jonathan Lam—highlighted states’ recent moves to prohibit legacy admissions. Last year, shockwaves were sent through college campuses when the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in admissions decisions. After the Supreme Court’s decision, Lam, along with Cornell’s ACLU chapter,…
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Voice of America: Bangladeshi families look to commission for answers on enforced disappearances
Tags Share 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. Over the course of PM Sheikh Hasina’s 15 years in power, more than 700 people went missing with dozens still not found. The…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Abuse of migrants rampant at Louisiana Ice centers, report finds Abuse of thousands of migrants at federal immigration detention centers in Louisiana is rampant, inhumane and meets the legal definition of torture, according to a report published on Monday by a coalition of human rights groups. Accusations include the shackling of detainees for lengthy periods in painful…
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Enforced Disappearances: A State-Sanctioned Weapon for Repression
Tags Share In 1989, during the Guatemalan Civil War, four courageous human rights defenders were arbitrarily detained and disappeared by the Guatemalan Army because of their work to liberate Indigenous peoples forcibly conscripted into military service. The whereabouts of Agapito Pérez Lucas, Nicolás Mateo, Macario Pú Chivalán, and Luis Ruiz Luis remain unknown, causing tremendous…
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Egypt: Release of ‘T-Shirt Detainee’ Mahmoud Hussein
Tags Share RFK Human Rights welcomes the release of Mahmoud Hussein, ‘the T-Shirt detainee,’ from arbitrary detention in Egypt. We call on the Egyptian authorities to take all necessary measures to investigate the violations of Mahmoud’s rights and guarantee the full enjoyment of his rights going forward, including the right to compensation. Since January 25,…
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New report highlights shocking abuses faced by migrants in ICE detention centers in Louisiana
Tags Share 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,”…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Solitary persists in Washington prisons despite promises to end it In 2021, the Washington Department of Corrections pledged to end the use of solitary confinement as punishment, but a 400-page report based on an independent investigation finds otherwise. The report states that solitary is still widely used for administrative purposes, finding that over…
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“Now I Am Going to Speak Out”: The Power of Youth Community Organizing Workshops
Tags Share “I want to help my community inside and outside the school,” declared Ramses Gonzalez, a student who arrived in the United States just last year and a participant in a recent youth organizing workshop series led by Karen Robinson, Program Director of Human Rights Education at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. This three…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Disinformation About US Elections Targets Communities of Color Bad actors are flooding the information landscape with false and misleading information ahead of US elections in November, disproportionately targeting communities of color. The torrent of misinformation is sparking concerns it could alter voting patterns and even affect the outcomes of the presidential and other elections. Ten…
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