United States
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Statement by Kerry Kennedy on the Passing of RFK Human Rights Board Member Phil Johnston
Tags Share I am stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of our Board member and dear friend, Phil Johnston. A politically savvy, enthusiastic raconteur and a generous helping hand to anyone in need, Phil will be remembered for his quick wit, problem-solving genius, and huge, loving heart. He first joined RFK Human Rights as…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump’s Attacks On Press Freedom Are Paving The Way For Authoritarianism A leading global democracy research institute says democratic “backsliding” must be turned around quickly—warning that after 10 years, recovery is “close to impossible.” In 2024, the Democrats ran on the catchphrase “We are not going back.” Even after the party’s resounding defeat,…
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Al Jazeera: Mahmoud Khalil case—Judge rules activist’s case can remain in New Jersey
Tags Share Speaking with Al Jazeera, our client Daniel Cortes De La Valle recounts his experience in a notorious Louisiana ICE facility – the same facility where student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil is currently detained. While detained in the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, Daniel was subjected to horrific abuse, including severe medical neglect, denial…
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The Wall Street Journal: Inside Columbia Student Mahmoud Khalil’s ICE Detention Center
Tags Share As of April 1, student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil remains detained at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, an immigration detention facility more than a thousand miles from where he was arrested. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, attorney Sarah Decker highlights the facility’s isolated location and ICE’s broader pattern of secluding people…
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ProPublica—Inside ICE Air: Flight Attendants on Deportation Planes Say Disaster Is “Only a Matter of Time”
Tags Share ProPublica reports on human rights abuses on U.S. deportation flights, including RFK Human Rights’ lawsuit on behalf of African asylum-seekers restrained for hours in the Wrap, a cross between a straitjacket and a sleeping bag that one federal judge has called torture. “Flight attendants were told they would fly rock bands, sports teams…
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American Immigration Council Suing Trump Administration Over Unprecedented Requirement That Immigrants Register with the Government
Tags Share The American Immigration Council and partner organizations filed a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS Secretary Noem, and other government defendants. The lawsuit challenges a rule published earlier this month by the Trump administration, which requires millions of people to register…
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Case management as a humane, effective, and evidence-backed alternative to ICE detention: FOIA request
On March 31, 2025, RFK Human Rights submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request to the Department of Homeland Security and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to seek information about the CMPP’s effectiveness, scope, and participant demographics.
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Tom DiNapoli & Kerry Kennedy: A Women’s History Month Conversation
Tags Share On March 28, in celebration of Women’s History Month, RFK Human Rights President Kerry Kennedy sat down with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for a conversation about how Kerry’s mother, Ethel, shaped the person she’s become, reflections on her childhood, including memories from her father’s career in politics, and the work of…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump Administration Advances Immigration Crackdown On Foreign Student Protesters The Trump administration is ramping up penalties against students who engaged in protests against the war in Gaza, revoking the visas of hundreds of alleged demonstrators. The Trump administration is ramping up penalties against students who engaged in protests against the war in Gaza, revoking…
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CNN: A glimpse at complaints inside Louisiana and Texas ICE detention centers holding Mahmoud Khalil and Badar Khan Suri
Tags Share As student activists across the country are detained by immigration officials, the long record of abuse at ICE detention facilities is coming to the forefront. Speaking with CNN, attorney Anthony Enriquez describes the “culture of abuse” across Louisiana ICE facilities, including medical neglect, rotten food, extreme isolation, and torture. The article also cites…
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Our Rights Are at Stake: Civil Rights Organizations Urge American People to Unite and Speak Out Against Attacks on Civil Rights and Freedoms that Protect Everyone
Tags Share WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today joined with 133 other civil rights organizations representing millions of people to release an open letter titled “Our Rights Are at Stake. We Will Not Be Silenced.” “In America, our government cannot do whatever it wants. And we, the people, have a right to ask for what we…
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