Student Organizing
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Verite News: Legal guide uses immigration work in Louisiana to educate advocates around the country
Tags Share Last month, RFK Human Rights, the Acacia Center for Justice, and the ACLU of Louisiana published a new guide that trains attorneys, advocates, and grassroots organizations on how to provide legal services in immigration detention facilities. Speaking with Verite News, our VP of U.S. Advocacy & Litigation Anthony Enriquez describes the purpose of…
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Boston Globe: Detained Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk was one of several sent by ICE to Louisiana. Here’s why.
Tags Share Following the arrest of Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, the Boston Globe reports on Öztürk’s detention in a notorious Louisiana ICE facility. Referencing the long history of abuse at the facility, the Globe cites RFK Human Rights’ 2024 “Inside the Black Hole” report, which exposed widespread physical and sexual abuse, medical neglect,…
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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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Theater and Human Rights Institute
What social problem moves you? At the 2025 Theater and Human Rights Institute, teachers will learn how they and their students can use theater to reflect, learn, speak up, and share stories to bring about change.
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MSN: Democrats Blast Trump Admin for Revoking Palestinian Protester’s Green Card: It’s ‘Straight Out of the Fascist Playbook
Tags Share Democrats are criticizing the Trump administration for collaborating with Columbia University to arrest pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born U.S. permanent resident and recent graduate. Following his arrest, Khalil was transferred to the La Salle Detention Facility in Jena, Louisiana, which was condemned by RFK Human Rights in a 2024 report that found…
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The Evolution and Impact of the John Lewis Young Leaders Program
Tags Share The Young Leaders program at RFK Human Rights has been a dynamic force for change since its inception, and its story is one of continuous growth, adaptation, and commitment to justice. The program’s trajectory from its early beginnings as RFK Young Leaders to its current form as the John Lewis Young Leaders fellowship…
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Amplifying Advocacy: A Conversation with Jonathan Lam on the Safeguard Act, the UN Summit, and Youth Empowerment
Tags Share A Personal Passion for Disarmament and Human Rights Jonathan’s drive for advocacy stems from his upbringing as the child of Vietnamese refugees. His parents’ harrowing experiences during the Vietnam War, including surviving bombings and displacement, shaped his understanding of the human cost of conflict. “My parents were Vietnamese refugees. Both of my parents…
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Empowering Change: Connor Marrott’s Mission to Improve Reentry Opportunities
Tags Share A Capstone Project to Inspire Change Connor’s passion for reentry work began during his internship at Dismas House, a reentry home in northern Indiana. There, he helped returning citizens secure jobs and navigate the barriers to reintegration. Inspired by this experience, he designed an innovative in-person simulation game that immerses participants in the…
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Steven Mukum, 2024-2025 JLYL Fellow, receives prestigious Diana Award
Tags Share Steven (Tuti) Mukum, a John Lewis Young Leaders fellow and student set to graduate Swarthmore College next year, has received the prestigious Diana Award, which celebrates and empowers students who are creating positive change around the world. Established in the memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, the program is rooted in…
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Pens for Press: Students Stand with Carlos Ávila
Tags Share Amidst final exams and end-of-year projects, young people across the country spent hours writing letters and sending emails on behalf of Honduran journalist, Carlos Ávila. On November 2nd, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the RFK Human Rights’ Civic Space Case Tracker launched Pens for Press 2024, a youth…
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John Lewis Young Leaders Fellow Saanvi Arora’s California Assembly Bill 2608 Passed Into Law
Tags Share “It felt so good” to see Governor Newsom sign Assembly Bill 2608 into law on July 15, 2024, exclaimed Saanvi Arora, a 2023-2024 John Lewis Young Leaders (JLYL) Fellow. AB 2608, drafted and lobbied for by Arora and other students, is a bill which ensures that students on college campuses in California receive…
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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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