Democracy
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CNN: Trump appointee grilled in court about shuttering Homeland Security offices tasked with civil rights oversight
Tags Share A federal judge said that she had concerns about being “hoodwinked” by plans put forward in her courtroom Monday by a Trump appointee to rebuild three offices focused on civil rights oversight within the Department of Homeland Security that were eviscerated with mass layoffs set to take effect this week. US District Judge…
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Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Announces Maine Governor Janet Mills, Elizabeth Oyer, and Jeanette Vizguerra as 2025 Human Rights Award Laureates
Tags Share Washington, D.C., May 15, 2025 – Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced Maine Governor Janet Mills, former DOJ Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer, and immigration reform activist Jeanette Vizguerra as the recipients of its 42nd annual Human Rights Award. A ceremony honoring Mills, Oyer, and Vizguerra will be held on June 5 in…
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Venezuela: Exigimos información sobre la suerte y paradero de Eduardo Torres, defensor de derechos humanos de PROVEA, así como el respeto y garantía de sus derechos
Tags Share Las organizaciones firmantes expresamos nuestra profunda preocupación por la vida, integridad, libertad y seguridad de Eduardo Torres, defensor de derechos humanos e integrante del Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA), quien se encuentra desaparecido desde el viernes 9 de mayo. Tras concluir una reunión en Parque Central de Caracas, Eduardo mantuvo una conversación telefónica…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share U.S. Press Freedom Falls to Historical Low Press freedom in the United States has hit a record low, according to the latest World Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters Without Borders. Press freedom in the U.S. now falls in line with developing countries, such as Gambia, Uruguay and Sierra Leone. While physical threats against journalists…
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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share International Tribunal Condemns U.S. Border Officials for Torturing, Killing Immigrant Nearly 15 years after Anastasio Hernández Rojas’ wife began pushing for justice in her husband’s killing, an international human rights commission found that U.S. border officials were responsible for his death — and that they tortured him before he died. This is the first time that…
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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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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump Guts Key Civil Rights Protections With New Executive Order On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would further weaken civil rights protections and make it more difficult for plaintiffs to prevail in discrimination cases in areas such as education, housing, health care and public benefits. The order instructs federal agencies to stop enforcing laws and regulations…
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RFK Human Rights v. Department of Homeland Security: Fighting for Accountability in Immigration Enforcement
Case Citation Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights et al. v. Dep’t of Homeland Sec. et al., 1:25-cv-01270 (D.D.C. filed Apr. 24, 2025) Tags Share Case Partners
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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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This Week’s Spotlight on Human Rights
Tags Share Trump Administration Directs Judges to Deny Asylum Without Hearings A new Trump administration policy urges immigration judges to swiftly deny asylum to migrants whose applications they deem unlikely to succeed. The expedited dismissals would circumvent the normal hearing process, which typically takes years to wind through the backlogged courts. Trump Measures Make Life…
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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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Arusha Initiative Hosts Second Town Hall
Sign up to get the latest on the Arusha Initiative and African human rights news. Subscribe to the Justice Roundup newsletter for our advocacy and litigation newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Tags Share On March 26, the Arusha Initiative held its second virtual Town Hall. Participants discussed the importance of transparency and accountability within…
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