UN Chief Guterres Says Human Rights Are Being Suffocated By Autocrats and Warmongers
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres says human rights are being “suffocated” around the world, lashing out at voices of division and anger who see them as a barrier to their quest for power and profit. In a speech to the Human Rights Council, Guterres decried Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine that marked its third anniversary Monday, appealed for a permanent cease-fire between Palestinian militants and Israel, and urged respect for Congo’s territorial integrity, among other things.
Trump Administration Plans to Require Undocumented Immigrants to Join Registry or Face Jail, Fines
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced it plans to launch a registry requiring immigrants in the country illegally, including children, to submit personal information and fingerprints. Those who are at least 14 years old and don’t comply could face fines or misdemeanor prosecution. The program, which was assailed by immigrant rights advocates, targets those who have not encountered immigration officials in the past, and ratchets up President Trump’s deluge of orders and policy changes intended to toughen immigration laws and facilitate deportations.
Private Prison Exec Calls Mass Deportation Plans ‘Unprecedented Opportunity’
GEO Group Chairman George Zoley said the company stands to gain up to $1 billion in additional revenue from detaining and surveilling undocumented immigrants. For-profit prison companies CoreCivic and GEO Group are primed to benefit from Trump’s white supremacist agenda to round up, detain, and deport millions of immigrants. In January, Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, which requires mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants who are charged with low-level offenses, including shoplifting, as well as more serious crimes.
Bangladesh’s New Digital Laws Under Scrutiny
Bangladesh is making systemic changes to its digital laws, especially in cybersecurity and data protection. The Interim Government is working on new rules, but several organisations (Access Now, ARTICLE 19, Human Rights Watch, PEN International, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Tech Global Institute) worry that these changes are happening too fast and without enough public input.