We found 701 results for "Access to U.S. Asylum"
Press
Human Rights First opposes Biden’s proposal to detain asylum seekers
March 7, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following reports in yesterday’s New York Times that the Biden administration is considering detaining immigrant and asylum-seeking families who cross the border,…
Fact Sheet
Biden Administration’s Proposed Asylum Ban: Illegal, Inhumane, and No Solution
February 23, 2023
On February 23, 2023, the Biden administration published a proposed rule that would illegally ban many refugees from seeking asylum in the United States and deprive…
Press
Biden’s Asylum Ban Would Return U.S. to Trump-Style Policy
February 21, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the Biden administration today proposed a rule that would illegally ban many refugees from seeking asylum in the United States due…
Press
Human Rights First Condemns Administration Plan to Fast-Track Asylum Screenings
January 27, 2023
WASHINGTON DC – Human Rights First calls on the administration to abandon a plan once used by the Trump administration and focus instead on upholding…
Fact Sheet
LEADING BY EXAMPLE, HONORING COMMITMENTS:
January 26, 2023
Recommendations for the Biden Administration to Uphold Refugee Law at Home Two years since President Biden took office, his administration has taken some important initial…
Fact Sheet
Biden Administration Plan to Resurrect Asylum Ban Advances Trump Agenda
January 17, 2023
Would Condemn Refugees to Return to Harm, Family Separation, and Permanent Limbo On January 5, 2023, the Biden administration announced new policies relating to the…
Press
Biden Administration Use and Expansion of Trump Policy to Ban People Seeking Asylum Endangers Lives, Tramples Human Rights
January 5, 2023
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s announcement of plans to expand use of the Trump-initiated Title 42 policy and resurrect other unlawful Trump policies to ban…
Press
Rights of Asylum Seekers Put on Hold Again
December 28, 2022
WASHINGTON DC – Human Rights First is deeply disappointed in yesterday’s Supreme Court decision that allows the failed and inhumane Title 42 expulsion policy to…
Press
Human Rights First Lauds Bill to Modernize American Refugee Protection Systems
December 22, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced the Refugee Protection Act of 2022, which would modernize and strengthen U.S.…
Press
Title 42: “Human Rights Stain, Public Health Farce”
December 16, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – The end of the Title 42 expulsion policy is scheduled for December 21 but supporters of the policy are still attempting to…
Press
After Documenting Abuses at ICE Berks Detention Center, PHR and Human Rights First Welcome Biden Administration Decision to Close Facility
December 2, 2022
NEW YORK – Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and Human Rights First welcome reports that the Biden administration will end a contract with the Berks…
Statement
Addressing the Human Rights Implications of Climate Change Displacement
November 14, 2022
Submission by Human Rights First to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change This document has been…
Fact Sheet
Rushed Timelines, Inadequate Access to Legal Representation Impede Meaningful Opportunity to Seek Asylum Under New Asylum Processing Rule
October 21, 2022
On May 31, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began implementing a new asylum process, pursuant to an Interim Final Rule (referred to as…
Press
Over 100 groups decry linking Venezuelan parole plan to Title 42
October 14, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the Biden administration’s announcement expanding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of Title 42 expulsions against Venezuelans to accompany a…
Letter
NGO Letter Responding to Expansion of Title 42 Expulsions for Venezuelans
October 14, 2022
Dear Secretary Mayorkas: We, the undersigned organizations committed to the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, write to express our deep disappointment and shock at…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Safe Pathway for Venezuelans, Expresses Grave Concerns about Potential Expanded Use of Title 42
October 12, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC — With news reports that the administration is planning a humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans, Human Rights First looks forward to more information…
Press
Accenture Honored for Exceptional Corporate Partnership by Human Rights First
October 6, 2022
Human Rights First has selected Accenture to receive the inaugural Human Rights First Award for Exceptional Corporate Partnership for the company’s commitment to the life-changing…
Blog
PALA Team Launches Welcome.US CEO Council Asylum Clinic for Afghan Asylum-Seekers
October 3, 2022
By Sophie Salmore Last week, Google, Accenture, Welcome.US, and Human Rights First’s Project: Afghan Legal Assistance (PALA), hosted an asylum clinic at Google’s headquarters in…
Blog
A Year After Del Rio, Haitian Asylum Seekers Expelled Under Title 42 Are Still Suffering
September 22, 2022
It’s been a year since the U.S. government launched its “comprehensive strategy” that resulted in the mass expulsion of Haitian asylum seekers at the U.S.…
Fact Sheet
Treat People Seeking U.S. Refuge with Dignity, Not as Political Pawns
September 21, 2022
Recommendations to Congress, the Biden Administration, State and Local Governments In recent weeks, some state governors have used the transportation of migrants and asylum seekers…
Letter
Letter on “United We Stand” event
September 20, 2022
Dear Ambassador Rice, We applaud the administration’s efforts to address hate through the upcoming summit, United We Stand: Countering Hate-Fueled Violence Together. We believe that…
Fact Sheet
Upholding President Biden’s Asylum Commitments
September 20, 2022
18-Month Progress Checklist Since February 2021 Executive Order It has been more than one-and-a-half years since President Biden issued his February 2, 2021 Executive Order,…
Topics
IMMIGRATION DETENTION
September 19, 2022
We press the U.S. government to end harmful immigration detention policies. The U.S. government’s current policy of choice is to lock up asylum seekers in…
Fact Sheet
Inadequate Access to Legal Representation, Rushed Timelines Impede Meaningful Opportunity to Seek Asylum Under New Asylum Processing Rule
September 14, 2022
On May 31, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began implementing an Interim Final Rule (referred to as the “Asylum Processing Rule,” or APR)…
Blog
Dobbs Restricts Access to Abortion Services for Asylum Seekers, Represses Reproductive Rights
August 18, 2022
By Ryan Huynh, Intern, Refugee Representation Late last month, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs that overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped hundreds of…
Letter
Asylum Processing Rule Recommendations
August 12, 2022
Dear Secretary Mayorkas, Director Rossi, and Director Jaddou: The undersigned immigrant and refugee advocacy and legal services organizations are dedicated to expanding access to legal…
Blog
LGBTQ Asylum Seekers Still Facing Grave Dangers Due to Title 42
August 12, 2022
By Teodoro Garcia, Intern, Refugee Protection This week, the Biden administration announced the end of “Remain in Mexico,” a policy that forced migrants and asylum…
Fact Sheet
CERD: US Discrimination Against Black Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers at the Border and Beyond
August 8, 2022
US Discrimination Against Black Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers at the Border and Beyond Since the CERD Committee last reviewed the US in 2014, the…
Report
Pretense of Protection
August 3, 2022
Biden Administration and Congress Should Avoid Exacerbating Expedited Removal Deficiencies The expedited removal process Congress created permits border officers to order the deportation of certain…
Letter
Immediate Actions that the Biden Administration Should Take to Prevent Further Harm under Remain in Mexico Following the Supreme Court Decision
July 20, 2022
Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris: In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Biden v. Texas, which concluded that the Biden administration acted…
Story
Refugee Voices – Awoke From Ethiopia
July 19, 2022
Protecting the persecuted is a core American ideal. At Human Rights First, we help asylum seekers who fled persecution and violence navigate the complex U.S.…
Story
Refugee Voices – Souleymane From Togo
July 18, 2022
Protecting the persecuted is a core American ideal. At Human Rights First, we help asylum seekers who fled persecution and violence navigate the complex U.S.…
Letter
Letter on Amendments that Would Codify Title 42
July 15, 2022
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Chairwoman DeLauro, and Ranking Member Granger, The undersigned civil society organizations write to express our grave concern regarding the…
Fact Sheet
Rhetoric vs Reality: End Dangerous Narratives and Failed Policies, Restore Asylum at Ports of Entry
July 14, 2022
During the summer of 2022, in the wake of a court order continuing the Title 42 policy, asylum seekers remain blocked from seeking asylum at…
Press
Human Rights First Condemns House Appropriators’ Inclusion of Asylum Ban in FY ‘23 DHS Appropriations Bill
June 24, 2022
Washington, DC – Human Rights First is outraged that the House of Representative Committee on Appropriations voted today to include in the Fiscal Year 2023 Department…
Testimony
Meeting International Obligations to Welcome and Protect Refugees
June 24, 2022
Testimony of Kennji Kizuka Associate Director of Research and Analysis for Refugee Protection, Human Rights First Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. Congress “South Korea’s…
Fact Sheet
Human Rights First Celebrates our 2022 Pro Bono Star Award Winners
June 21, 2022
Human Rights First is proud to announce our 2022 Pro Bono Star Award winners. Following is a little background about these excellent pro bono attorneys…
Report
The Nightmare Continues: Title 42 Court Order Prolongs Human Rights Abuses, Extends Disorder at U.S. Borders
June 16, 2022
Title 42 Court Order Prolongs Human Rights Abuses, Extends Disorder at U.S. Borders On May 23, 2022, the Title 42 policy was set to end.…
Letter
Civil Society Letter on Immediate Actions to Mitigate the Harms of Title 42
June 8, 2022
Dear President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Director Walensky: The right to seek asylum in the United States is in peril. In spite of conflicting court…
Fact Sheet
Asylum Process Rule Includes Welcome Improvements, But Critical Flaws Remain to Be Resolved
May 6, 2022
On March 29, 2022, the Biden administration published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that creates a new process for asylum seekers entering the United States.…
Report
Extending Title 42 Would Escalate Dangers, Exacerbate Disorder, and Magnify Discrimination
April 27, 2022
In April 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that as of May 23, 2022, it would terminate the Title 42 order,…
Report
“I’m a Prisoner Here”
April 21, 2022
Biden Administration Policies Lock Up Asylum Seekers Today, the United States operates the world’s largest immigration detention system—a system the Biden administration uses to jail…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Steps to Protect Ukrainians and Urges the Biden Administration to Honor its Promise to At-Risk Afghans
April 12, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – While Human Rights First welcomes reports of the establishment of a special parole program for Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression, the organization calls on the Biden…
Press
Human Rights First Opposes Attempts to Codify Inhumane Title 42 Expulsion Policy
April 7, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Human Rights First opposes the Lankford-Sinema bill that would codify the misuse of Title 42 to illegally block and expel people seeking…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Decision to End Title 42 Policy, Calls for Halt to Expulsions to Danger
April 1, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – After two years of steadfast advocacy, Human Rights First welcomes today’s decision by the Biden administration and the Centers for Disease Control…
Blog
Faith and Bar Leaders Call for End to Detention and Deterrence Policies For Families Seeking Asylum
April 1, 2022
By Eleanor Acer U.S. faith leaders and the American Bar Association are calling on the Obama administration to end its detention of families and other…
Press
New Asylum Rule Imposes Counterproductive Rocket Docket Adjudications that Threaten Accurate Asylum Decisions
March 24, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to the new interim final rule issued today by the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, Human Rights First welcomes…
Blog
Biden Should Speak Out on Trans People Blocked from Leaving Ukraine
March 24, 2022
By Brian Dooley Liana Georgi is an activist with the Safe Bow organization, which helps people from marginalized groups fleeing to safety from Ukraine. It…
Fact Sheet
Two Years of Suffering: Biden Administration Continues Use of Discredited Title 42 Order to Flout Refugee Law
March 17, 2022
For two years, the U.S. government has illegally blocked and expelled people seeking refuge at the southern U.S. border despite U.S. laws and treaties created…
Letter
Letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris on Two Years of Title 42
March 10, 2022
Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris: For nearly two years the U.S. government has ruthlessly blocked and expelled people seeking protection at the southern…
Press
Court of Appeals blocks use of public health to expel families to danger
March 4, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. -- In the wake of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Hisha Huisha v. Mayorkas, Human Rights First calls on the…
Testimony
U.S. Asylum and Border Policies Resulting in Human Rights Violations
March 1, 2022
Human Rights First’s Submission for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants pursuant to…
Testimony
Examining the Court-Ordered Reimplementation of the Remain in Mexico Policy
March 1, 2022
March 2, 2022 Human Rights First thanks the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations for holding a hearing on…
Letter
Joint NGO Letter re: Further Delay in Rescinding Public Health Asylum Ban Rule
February 28, 2022
RE: Security Bars and Processing, DHS Docket No. USCIS 2020-0013 The 135 undersigned faith-based groups, national and local legal services providers, medical and public health…
Press
Human Rights First Calls on CDC to Rescind Title 42 Order After Easing COVID-19 Mask Mandates
February 25, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – With reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will soon ease its guidelines for COVID-19 mask mandates, Human Rights First reiterates its…
Fact Sheet
The Opposite of Orderly and Humane: Use of Title 42 Spurs Disorder and Undermines Security
February 22, 2022
The Biden administration’s use of Trump administration policies to turn away people seeking protection along the southern border with Mexico is spurring disorder and escalating…
Blog
Black immigrants face unique challenges
February 17, 2022
By Reema Ghabra Black Immigrant and Refugee Equity (BIRE) Project Fellow Over the past twenty years, the Black immigrant population in the United States has…
Press
Immigrant Rights Organizations Call on Biden to Stop Expansion of Surveillance and End the Immigration Detention System as a Whole
February 9, 2022
WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, Axios reported that the Biden administration is planning an expanded home confinement and curfew pilot program for immigrants seeking asylum or other…
Fact Sheet
Restarting Orderly Process Critical to Managing Arrival of Asylum Seekers at Arizona Border
February 8, 2022
U.S. ports of entry have remained closed to requests for asylum throughout the pandemic, forcing some families and adults to cross the border between ports…
Letter
Letter to Biden/Harris on Expulsions of Venezuelan Asylum Seekers to Colombia
February 2, 2022
Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris: We, the undersigned organizations committed to the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, write to express our serious…
Testimony
For the Rule of Law, An Independent Immigration Court
January 19, 2022
Statement for the Record of Human Rights First U.S. House, Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship January 20, 2022 Human Rights First…
Report
A Shameful Record: Biden Administration’s Use of Trump Policies Endangers People Seeking Asylum
January 13, 2022
Biden Administration’s Use of Trump Policies Endangers People Seeking Asylum Now nearly one year into President Biden’s term, his administration continues to implement and expand…
Fact Sheet
The Biden Administration at One Year: Urgent Recommendations for Upholding U.S. Refugee Law, Restoring Asylum, and Saving Lives
January 13, 2022
One year after President Biden took office, his administration has taken steps to end some Trump administration policies that blocked refugees from asylum but has…
Blog
Supporting Afghans even as they fade from the news
January 3, 2022
By Sophie Salmore Out of a combined 14,000-plus minutes of the national evening news broadcast on CBS, ABC, and NBC in 2020, just five minutes…
Blog
The CDC’S Extension of the Title 42 Order: Misusing Public Health Authority
December 20, 2021
By: Diandra Coonghe, HRF Intern Human Rights First Fall 2021 Communications Intern Diandra Coonghe is studying biological science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She prepared…
Fact Sheet
Inhumane Again: Remain in Mexico Rollout Confirms Endemic Flaws of Unfixable Policy
December 16, 2021
As the Biden administration began its rollout of Remain in Mexico (RMX) 2.0 in early December 2021, Human Rights First researchers observed the initial returns…
Fact Sheet
Biden Administration Poised to Eliminate Critical Safeguard Amid Escalating Reports of Erroneous Credible Fear Decisions
December 8, 2021
Across the country, non-profit legal services organizations and individual attorneys have received alarming recent reports of asylum seekers from Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and…
Letter
Joint NGO Letter on U.S. Compliance with Convention Against Torture Obligations
December 1, 2021
Dear Secretary Blinken, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, Chargé d’Affaires Moeling, and Ambassador Rice: We write to express deep concerns about reports that the Biden administration has submitted…
Fact Sheet
Belarus-Poland Border: U.S. Should Stand for Human Rights and Human Lives
November 10, 2021
Over the last week, human rights challenges at the Belarus-Poland border have escalated, as Belarus pushes migrants and refugees toward the border and Poland sends…
Fact Sheet
Border Restrictions Lift, But Biden Administration Blocks Protection for Asylum Seekers and Children
November 8, 2021
On November 8, 2021, the Biden administration lifted restrictions on non-essential travel at the U.S.-Mexico border, allowing vaccinated individuals with “appropriate documentation” to enter the…
Fact Sheet
Recommendations for the Biden Administration: Upholding U.S. Refugee Law and Restoring Asylum
October 27, 2021
The Trump administration trampled on U.S. refugee laws and treaties, illegally turning away people seeking humanitarian protection and spurring disorder and chaos along the U.S.-Mexico…
Press
Next Steps After Evacuation of 70,000 Afghans Must Include Access to Counsel, Pathway to Legal Permanent Residency
October 22, 2021
WASHINGTON — Since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, more than 70,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States, with thousands more expected to arrive…
Report
“Illegal and Inhumane”: Biden Administration Continues Embrace of Trump Title 42 Policy as Attacks on People Seeking Refuge Mount
October 21, 2021
Nine months after taking office, President Biden’s administration continues to embrace and defend, rather than end, the Trump administration’s “Title 42” policy, which misuses public…
Letter
Legal Service Providers Joint Letter on MPP
October 19, 2021
Dear President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Mayorkas, and Attorney General Garland: The undersigned 73 legal services providers, law school clinics, and law firms, write…
Letter
Human Rights First Comment on Asylum Process Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
October 18, 2021
Human Rights First submits these comments in response to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration…
Press
Groups File Emergency Request to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for Asylum Seekers Expelled to Danger
October 7, 2021
WASHINGTON — The Lowenstein Project at Yale Law School submitted today an emergency request for precautionary measures against the United States on behalf of asylum…
Press
After Appeals Court Stay, Human Rights First Renews Call for Biden Administration to End Trump Expulsion Policy
October 1, 2021
NEW YORK – In the wake of an appeals court order yesterday, Human Rights First reiterated its calls for the Biden administration to stop defending the…
Letter
Civil and Human Rights Leaders Letter to President Biden on Haitian Expulsions
September 22, 2021
Dear President Biden, As leaders of civil rights and human rights organizations, we write at an inflection point for your Administration’s commitment to a humane…
Fact Sheet
Biden Administration’s Dangerous Haitian Expulsion Strategy Escalates the U.S. History of Illegal and Discriminatory Mistreatment of Haitians Seeking Safety in the United States
September 21, 2021
On September 18, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a “comprehensive strategy” to expel thousands of Haitian and other asylum-seeking families and adults…
Press
Human Rights First Calls on Biden Administration to Uphold the Law & End Title 42 Expulsions
September 20, 2021
WASHINGTON — As the Biden administration ramps up its expulsion of Haitians and making arbitrary distinctions between groups fleeing persecution and danger, Human Rights First…
Letter
Joint Letter to President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas & AG Garland on Title 42
September 17, 2021
Dear President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Attorney General Garland: In the wake of multiple federal court decisions holding that your administration’s policies are likely unlawful,…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Court Order Blocking Illegal Expulsions of Asylum-Seeking Families
September 16, 2021
NEW YORK – Human Rights First today welcomed a federal court order blocking the Biden administration from expelling families to danger under the Title 42 policy, which uses…
Fact Sheet
Any Version of “Remain in Mexico” Policy Would Be Unlawful, Inhumane, and Deadly
September 9, 2021
On August 24, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to stay a federal court ruling that orders the U.S government to re-implement the…
Letter
The Resurrection of Expedited Removal: Biden Administration Reverting to and Expanding Anti-Immigration Tactics
September 8, 2021
By Chloe Lowell, Human Rights First Intern President Biden campaigned on a promise to reverse inhumane asylum policies, create fair processes, and welcome refugees…
Report
Human Rights Travesty: Biden Administration Embrace of Trump Asylum Expulsion Policy Endangers Lives, Wreaks Havoc
August 24, 2021
More than seven months since President Biden took office, the U.S. government continues to turn away and block people seeking protection at U.S. ports of…
Press
New Report Finds Biden Administration’s Embrace of Title 42 Expulsions Leading to Human Rights Travesty
August 24, 2021
Research from Human Rights First Shows Kidnappings and Attacks Against Asylum Seekers Continue to Mount NEW YORK – Asylum seekers face horrific danger at the U.S.…
Press
Human Rights First Expresses Concern on Some Proposed Asylum Changes
August 18, 2021
WASHINGTON – Human Rights First welcomed some changes included in a proposed asylum rule posted today by the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice, but expressed concerns…
Letter
Letter to President Biden on Expulsion Flights to Southern Mexico & Changes to Asylum Processing
August 13, 2021
Dear President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, Ambassador Rice, and Advisor Sullivan: We, the 95 undersigned organizations, write to express our profound disappointment at Secretary Mayorkas’s remarksyesterday…
Press
Human Rights First Decries Biden’s New Expulsion Policy to Southern Mexico
August 12, 2021
Policy Adds New Layer to Biden Administration Use of Title 42 WASHINGTON — Human Rights First condemns the Biden administration’s new expulsions of asylum seekers…
Letter
NGO Letter to Biden Administration Expressing Profound Disappointment in Continued Violations of Refugee Law
August 6, 2021
Dear President Biden: As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, our 178 faith-based, humanitarian, legal services, immigration, and human rights organizations…
Press
Human Rights First: New Title 42 Order Continues Harmful Policy, Puts Asylum Seekers at Risk in Mexico
August 2, 2021
WASHINGTON — Human Rights First expressed grave concern about a new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) order issued today, based on Title 42 of U.S.…
Fact Sheet
Assessment: U.S. Compliance with the Refugee Convention at its 70th Anniversary
July 27, 2021
As the world marks the 70th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention on July 28, 2021, the United States continues to flout its legal obligations…
Blog
To Protect the Lives of LGBTQ Asylum Seekers, the Biden Administration Must Fully End Title 42
July 21, 2021
By Julia Neusner, Human Rights First Emem Maurus, Transgender Law Center The Biden administration continues to misuse the Trump administration’s Title 42 policy to…
Letter
Letter to DHS on Prolonged Detention of Asylum Seekers Following Guzman Chavez Ruling
July 21, 2021
Dear Secretary Mayorkas: We, the undersigned organizations and legal clinics, write to urge the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) to ensure that people seeking protection…
Fact Sheet
Detaining People Seeking Protection: Inhumane, Unnecessary, and Wasteful
July 14, 2021
Jailing people seeking asylum protection in U.S. immigration detention centers is a cruel and costly mistake. Detention inflicts enormous physical and psychological harm, exacerbates trauma…
Letter
Letter to DHS on Enforcement Priorities and Asylum Seekers
July 13, 2021
Dear Secretary Mayorkas, We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to stop targeting…
Letter
Letter re: Immediate Procedural Steps for Fair Treatment of Asylum Seekers Wrongfully Deported to Danger in Guatemala Under the “Asylum Cooperative Agreement” Program
July 9, 2021
Dear Secretary Mayorkas, Secretary Blinken, and Attorney General Garland: The undersigned organizations urge this administration to take prompt and concrete action to address the harm…
Press
New Report Shows Grave Dangers Asylum Seekers Face in Ciudad Juárez
July 8, 2021
NEW YORK — With reports that the Biden administration may extend the use of the Title 42 policy to illegally block and expel single adult asylum seekers from…
Report
Disorderly and Inhumane: Biden Administration Continues to Expel Asylum Seekers to Danger While U.S. Border Communities Stand Ready to Welcome
July 8, 2021
In late June 2021, during a visit to El Paso, Vice President Kamala Harris affirmed that the Biden administration is “committed to ensuring that our…
Press
Human Rights First: Evacuation to Central Asia Wrong Move for Afghan Allies
July 2, 2021
WASHINGTON — Human Rights First and Veterans for American Ideals strongly condemn the Biden administration’s decision to ask the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan…
Letter
Letter to President Biden on reported Title 42 expulsion policy extension
June 30, 2021
Dear President Biden: We, the 109 undersigned organizations, write to express our alarm and disappointment that your administration is reportedly considering plans to continue to…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Further ‘Remain in Mexico’ Wind Down
June 22, 2021
More Needed to Protect Asylum Seekers Subjected to the Illegal Policy WASHINGTON — Today, the Biden administration indicated it would take additional steps that would…
Report
Update: Grave Dangers Continue for Asylum Seekers Blocked In, Expelled to Mexico by Biden Administration
June 22, 2021
The Biden administration continues to expel and turn away asylum seekers to life-threatening dangers in Mexico without access to U.S. asylum protections guaranteed by domestic…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes Step Toward Repairing the Asylum System
June 16, 2021
WASHINGTON — Human Rights First welcomed today’s decision by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to vacate rulings in Matter of A-B- and Matter of L-E-A-, a…
Letter
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Human Rights of Migrants in the United States
June 15, 2021
Human Rights First’s Submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants This submission…
Press
Human Rights First Applauds Announcement for Central American Minors
June 15, 2021
WASHINGTON — Human Rights First welcomes the Biden administration’s announcement today of plans to expand the categories of persons who can petition to bring children to safety in…
Press
Human Rights First Calls for Action to Fully End ‘Remain in Mexico’
June 2, 2021
WASHINGTON — Following the Department of Homeland Security’s issuance of a memorandum yesterday formally ending the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), Human Rights First called on the Biden administration…
Press
Human Rights First Concerned Biden Plan Risks New “Rocket Dockets” When It Should End Trump Asylum Policies
May 28, 2021
NEW YORK – Human Rights First expressed concerns that new Biden administration policies announced today risk undermining due process in asylum adjudications while the administration continues to…
Press
The U.S. Must Deliver on its Commitment to Afghan Allies, Not Send Them to a Third Country
May 27, 2021
WASHINGTON — With the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan proceeding swiftly, the fate of more than 17,000 Afghans who served American forces and…
Fact Sheet
Leading by Example or Undermining Protection: U.S. Compliance with the Refugee Convention at its 70th Anniversary
May 27, 2021
On July 28, 2021, the world will mark the 70th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. In the wake of World War II, the United…
Letter
NGO Letter and Recommendations on MPP Wind Down
May 18, 2021
Dear Secretary Blinken, Attorney General Garland, and Secretary Mayorkas: Our faith-based, humanitarian, legal services, immigration, and human rights organizations and law school clinics welcome the…
Fact Sheet
Biden Administration Title 42 Expulsions of Families and Adults to Nuevo Laredo Fuel Kidnappings and Endanger Lives
May 13, 2021
The Biden administration’s use of Title 42 to expel families and adults to extremely dangerous Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas, Mexico is contributing to already epidemic…
Fact Sheet
Do Expedited Asylum Screenings and Adjudications at the Border Work?
May 6, 2021
Expedited processing of asylum requests at the border hinges on unfair and unrealistic expectations that people seeking asylum, who on arrival at the border are…
Letter
Letter to Attorney General and DHS Secretary on Asylum System Reforms
April 15, 2021
Dear Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas: In the wake of recent reports that the Biden administration is considering systemic asylum reforms, we write to…
Report
“I am in limbo:” Our New Report on the Asylum Backlog and how the Biden Administration Should Resolve it
April 12, 2021
Family separation takes many forms in the U.S. immigration system. By the time public outcry forced the Trump Administration to halt its explicit family separation…
Letter
NGO Letter to Biden Administration on Recent Asylum Statements and Actions
March 30, 2021
Dear President Biden, The United States led efforts to draft the Refugee Convention in the wake of World War II and, in the Refugee Act…
Letter
Letter to DHS and the State Department on the MPP Wind Down Process
March 12, 2021
Dear Secretaries Mayorkas and Blinken: Our faith-based, humanitarian, legal services, immigration, and human rights organizations and law school clinics welcome the administration’s initial steps to…
Letter
NGO Letter Urging DHS to Reject Use of Expedited Removal
February 16, 2021
Dear Secretary Mayorkas, Our undersigned faith-based, immigration, civil rights, and human rights organizations urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reject the use of…
Letter
NGO Letter to Biden Administration Welcoming Asylum Executive Order, Urging Swift Rescission of Harmful Policies
February 9, 2021
Dear President Biden: The executive orders your administration issued last week are welcome initial steps toward ending the illegal and inhumane asylum and border policies…
Press
Human Rights First Welcomes First Steps to Repair Damage to Asylum System
February 2, 2021
Urgent Action Still Needed to Transit Vulnerable People to Safety in the U.S. WASHINGTON – Human Rights First welcomed President Biden’s executive orders and announcement of…
Press
NGO Letter to Biden Administration Urging End to Misuse of Title 42 Public Health Authority
February 2, 2021
Dear President Biden: We write to urge your administration to immediately end the misuse of Title 42 public health authority to illegally and inhumanely expel…
Fact Sheet
Recommendations for Biden Administration: Welcoming the Persecuted, Restoring Order, and Upholding Asylum Law, Refugee Treaties and Values
January 25, 2021
The Trump administration destroyed the U.S. asylum system, trampled on refugee laws and treaties, and spurred chaos and disorder at the border. Through that administration’s…
Letter
“We Need Someone to See Us”: To Save Lives, the Biden Administration Should Quickly Restore Refugee Protection
January 13, 2021
Ana and Jorge, an Afro-Cuban couple, were kidnapped soon after U.S. border officers expelled them to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in 2020. They’d crossed the border…
Report
Humanitarian Disgrace: U.S. Continues to Illegally Block, Expel Refugees to Danger
December 16, 2020
The Trump Administration continues to break U.S. laws and treaty obligations that protect refugees from persecution, returning to danger people seeking protection at the southern…
Press
Humanitarian Disgrace: Human Rights First Blasts Ongoing Human Rights Abuses in U.S. Policies Targeting Asylum Seekers
December 16, 2020
WASHINGTON – In a new report, Human Rights First details the disgraceful abuse of the human rights of refugees at the U.S. southern border. The Trump…
Fact Sheet
Use of Public Health as Pretext to Ban and Block Refugees
December 15, 2020
Over objections of senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts and following instructions by Trump Administration officials, the CDC issued a highly flawed…
Fact Sheet
Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Increasingly Detained, Denied Asylum Under Trump Administration
November 6, 2020
Between fiscal years (FY) 2010 and 2019, more than three-quarters of Cameroonian asylum seekers (76 percent on average) were granted asylum in U.S. immigration courts.…
Story, Updates
Government Records Shed Light on Illegal Expulsions of Asylum Seekers and Children
October 30, 2020
Human Rights First has received previously undisclosed records that reveal how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been carrying out illegal expulsions of asylum…
Press
Human Rights First Decries New Rules to Limit Asylum Eligibility
October 21, 2020
Rules would create sweeping new categorical bars to asylum and eliminate rules intended to ensure refugee families are not separated WASHINGTON — Human Rights First…
Press
New Report Details Transit Ban Asylum Denials and Family Separations, Proposed Rule Would Revive Illegal Ban Despite Court Rulings
July 15, 2020
WASHINGTON – A year since the Trump administration’s third-country transit asylum ban was issued, this ban has caused the United States to deny asylum to…
Report
Asylum Denied, Families Divided: Trump Administration’s Illegal Third-Country Transit Ban
July 15, 2020
One year ago, on July 16, 2019, the Trump administration issued a rule barring asylum for virtually all refugees who travel through another country on…
Letter
CBP Blocking “Migrant Protection Protocols” Fear Screenings
June 20, 2020
Dear Acting Secretary Wolf and Acting Commissioner Morgan: We write to express our urgent concern that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol…
Fact Sheet
Grant Rates Plummet as Trump Administration Dismantles U.S. Asylum System, Blocks and Deports Refugees
June 11, 2020
On June 10, 2020, the Trump Administration proposed an expansive, new regulation that, if implemented, would eviscerate asylum protections for the vast majority of people…
Fact Sheet
Is Honduras Safe for Refugees and Asylum Seekers?
May 1, 2020
On May 1, 2020, the Trump administration published an agreement signed with Honduras in September 2019, that purports to allow the United States to transfer…
Press
Human Rights First Responds to COVID19’s Impacts by Joining #GivingTuesdayNow
April 30, 2020
Washington, D.C. – While the world’s focus is on COVID19, those affected by the disease, and the economic impacts of the pandemic, the issues that Human…
Letter
Comment on Interim Final Rule: Suspension of Introduction of Persons Into United States
April 23, 2020
April 23, 2020 On March 20, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued…
Letter
COVID-19 and the Remain in Mexico / “Migrant Protection Protocols” Policy
April 14, 2020
April 14, 2020 Dear Acting Secretary Wolf, Acting Commissioner Morgan, Acting Director Albence and Director McHenry: In light of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, our 27 legal,…
Press
HRF Concern Regarding Commission on Unalienable Rights
April 14, 2020
Department of State Commission on Unalienable Rights C/O Mr. F. Cartwright Weiland, Office of Policy Planning Prof. Mary Ann Glendon, Chair U.S. Department of State…
Press
Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis While Protecting Asylum Seekers – Update
March 25, 2020
(Updated March 25, 2020) Amnesty International USA, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA, Human Rights First, Physicians for Human Rights, Refugees International, and Women’s Refugee…
Press
Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis While Protecting Asylum Seekers
March 19, 2020
Amnesty International USA, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA, Human Rights First, Physicians for Human Rights, Refugees International, and Women’s Refugee Commission call on the Trump…
Press
Human Rights Advocates with Medical and Legal Expertise Call on Governors, State Health Officials to Direct Reduction, Release of Immigration Detainees to Prevent Coronavirus Spread
March 17, 2020
New York City – Calling on governors and state health officials to use their authority to act in the interest of public health and protect immigration…
Letter
Asylum Seekers in Remain in Mexico / “Migrant Protection Protocols” Policy
March 6, 2020
Dear Acting Secretary Wolf: Our 153 legal representation, refugee assistance, faith-based, human rights, and community groups write to urge your agency to end the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (“MPP”),…
Press
Ninth Circuit Court Issues Ruling Against “Remain in Mexico” Policy; Recorded Abuses of Asylum-Seekers in Mexico Top 1,000 Cases
February 28, 2020
A year after “remain in Mexico” policy began, HRF finds more than 1,000 reports of kidnappings, assaults and rape of asylum-seekers Washington, D.C. – Today,…
Press
Marking One Year of the Horrific “Remain in Mexico” Policy – Over 800 Violent Attacks on Asylum-Seekers
January 22, 2020
WASHINGTON – Next week marks one year since the Trump administration began forcibly returning asylum-seekers to wait for their court dates in Mexico, where they…
Letter
Comments in Opposition to Proposed Rulemaking: Procedures for Asylum and Bars to Asylum Eligibility
January 21, 2020
January 21, 2020 Human Rights First submits these comments in response to the proposed regulations to amend regulations relating to eligibility for asylum published in…
Press
Groups File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s So-Called ‘Safe Third Country’ Asylum Policy
January 15, 2020
WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, and Human Rights First filed a federal lawsuit today challenging…
Report
Human Rights Fiasco: The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Asylum Returns Continue
December 5, 2019
In January 2019, the Trump Administration started forcibly returning asylum seekers to Mexico under a new policy farcically dubbed the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP). Waiting…
Human Rights Fiasco: The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Asylum Returns Continue
December 5, 2019
In January 2019, the Trump Administration started forcibly returning asylum seekers to Mexico under a new policy farcically dubbed the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP). Waiting…
Press
Human Rights First Heralds Legislation to Restore American Leadership to Refugee Protection
November 21, 2019
Legislation will overhaul the American refugee system to reassert humane U.S. leadership on refugee protection and resettlement WASHINGTON – Today, Human Rights First lauds Senator…
Report
Orders from Above: Massive Human Rights Abuses Under Trump Administration Return to Mexico Policy
October 1, 2019
In September 2019, the Trump Administration’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico, which it farcically refers to as the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP), entered…
Report
Orders from Above: Massive Human Rights Abuses Under Trump Administration Return to Mexico Policy
October 1, 2019
In September 2019, the Trump Administration’s policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico, which it farcically refers to as the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP), entered…
Fact Sheet
Trump Administration Delivers Asylum Seekers to Grave Danger in Mexico: 200+ Publicly Reported Cases of Rape, Kidnapping, and Assault Just the Tip of the Iceberg
September 17, 2019
Since January 2019, the Trump Administration has expelled 45,000 asylum seekers and migrants, including Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Central Americans, to Mexico under the so-called “Migrant Protection…
Fact Sheet
Trump Administration’s Third-Country Transit Bar is An Asylum Ban that Will Return Refugees to Danger
September 13, 2019
The Trump Administration’s third-country transit asylum bar, issued as an interim final rule on July 16, 2019, effectively bans asylum for the vast majority of…
Press
New Work Authorization Rule for Asylum Seekers Could Have Devastating Consequences
September 6, 2019
Washington, D.C.—In response to a proposed new regulation that would eliminate requirements that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decide on first-time applications for employment…
Fact Sheet
CAIR Coalition v. Trump: A Case Summary
August 28, 2019
The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented assault against asylum seekers. In its latest move, it issued a sweeping asylum ban, barring from asylum eligibility…
Press
New Trump Administration Rule an Attempt to End Asylum
July 15, 2019
Washington, D.C.—In response to the anticipated release of a new interim final rule from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security attempting to ban those…
Blog
The Trump Administration’s Migrant Persecution Protocols
July 12, 2019
By Kennji Kizuka Coauthored with Victoria Rossi On Thursday, we met Blanca*, who fled homophobic violence in Guatemala with her partner Laura*, and Laura’s son…
Fact Sheet
Is Guatemala Safe for Refugees and Asylum Seekers?
July 1, 2019
The Trump Administration is pursuing an agreement with Guatemala under which the United States would turn away asylum seekers from Honduras, El Salvador and other…
Blog
The Trump Administration’s Migrant Persecution Protocols
June 12, 2019
By Kennji Kizuka Coauthored with Victoria Rossi On Thursday, we met Blanca*, who fled homophobic violence in Guatemala with her partner Laura*, and Laura’s son…
Letter
Letter to Attorney General Barr and Acting Secretary McAleenan RE: White House Memorandum Proposing Additional Asylum Restrictions
June 5, 2019
White House Memorandum Proposing Additional Asylum Restrictions Dear Attorney General Barr and Acting Secretary McAleenan: The undersigned organizations write to express our deep concern and…
Fact Sheet
Courts and Congress Misled About Trump Administration Policy Forcing Asylum Seekers to “Remain in Mexico”
May 10, 2019
Since January 2019, the Trump Administration has forced more than four thousand Central Americans trying to request asylum at the southern border to return to…
Fact Sheet
Callous and Calculated: Longer Work Authorization Bar Endangers Lives of Asylum Seekers and Their Families
April 29, 2019
U.S. immigration law and regulations provide asylum seekers with work authorization documents, which allow them to accept employment after their asylum applications have been pending for at least 180…
Report
Barred at the Border: Wait “Lists” Leave Asylum Seekers in Peril at Texas Ports of Entry
April 22, 2019
While President Trump reportedly demanded that former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen resign over her failure to block all asylum seekers from entering the country,…
Blog
Asylum Seekers Barred at the Border Make the Choice to Survive
April 22, 2019
By Kennji Kizuka In late February, we interviewed *Daniel at the Karnes family detention center in Texas. Daniel had fled political persecution in Nicaragua and arrived in…
Press
Attorney General Decision Seeks to Jail Refugees Indefinitely
April 17, 2019
New York City—In response to Attorney General Barr’s decision attempting to strip refugees of bond hearings, thereby holding them in detention indefinitely, Human Rights First’s…
Blog
Real Solutions to the Disorder at the Border
April 10, 2019
By Eleanor Acer Anti-refugee rhetoric and policies have characterized the Trump presidency. Now, as he transitions to campaign mode ahead of the 2020 election, he’s doubling-down.…
Fact Sheet
The Real Solution: Regional Response Rather than Border Closures, Mass Incarceration, and Refugee Returns
April 5, 2019
The Trump Administration has purposefully mismanaged the refugee and humanitarian challenges pushing people to flee political repression, human rights abuses, economic deprivation, and climate displacement…
Blueprint
The Real Solution: Regional Response Rather than Border Closures, Mass Incarceration, and Refugee Returns
April 5, 2019
The Trump Administration has purposefully mismanaged the refugee and humanitarian challenges pushing people to flee political repression, human rights abuses, economic deprivation, and climate displacement…
Blog
The Uncertainty and Trauma of Family Detention
March 22, 2019
By Jane Randel Co-President, Karp Randel In late February 2019, I toured two family immigration detention centers in South Texas—one for women and their children…
Blog
The End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act Would Ban Asylum for Central American Children
January 23, 2019
By Kennji Kizuka The Trump-McConnell bill—the “End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act”—is nothing more than a hateful anti-immigration wish list, designed to hold the…
Report
Prisons and Punishment: Immigration Detention in California
January 15, 2019
In the name of national security, the Trump Administration has taken numerous steps that threaten the human rights of asylum seekers and other immigrants. Several…
Press
New Report Documents Mental, Physical, Legal Impact of Increased Detention in California
January 15, 2019
Los Angeles—Human Rights First today released a new report analyzing the mental, physical, and legal impacts of massive overuse of immigration detention in California. Prisons and Punishment: Immigration…
Blog
Secretary Nielsen Testifies Before the House Judiciary Committee: A Resource Guide
December 20, 2018
This morning’s House Judiciary Committee hearing will be a tough morning for current Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen. Following increasing reports of forced bottlenecks…
Press
Federal Judge Ruling a Victory for Asylum Seekers
December 19, 2018
Washington, D.C.—In response to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia striking down policies that made it nearly impossible for victims of domestic…
Blog
Seven-Year-Old Child Dies in CBP Custody: DHS Response Furthers Falsehoods
December 14, 2018
On December 13, the Washington Post reported that Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old girl from Guatemala died from dehydration and shock while in Border Patrol…
Blog
Trump Administration Policies are Devastatingly Cruel to Children
November 29, 2018
President Trump’s immigration policies are far-reaching, sometimes difficult to understand, and rooted in hate. But one thing seems to unite them all: a blatant, absolute…
Fact Sheet
President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” Plan
November 28, 2018
The Trump Administration is reportedly in talks with representatives of the incoming Mexican government to implement a so-called “Remain in Mexico” plan that would return asylum seekers…
Blog
FAQ: Why do Asylum Seekers Cross the U.S. Border Between Ports of Entry?
November 27, 2018
Why do those seeking asylum cross between entry points? Here’s a few common reasons: Mexican immigration officials block asylum seekers from approaching U.S. border posts. Even…
Fact Sheet
Why Do Some Asylum Seekers Cross the U.S. Southern Border Between Ports of Entry?
November 27, 2018
“Ports of entry” along the U.S. southern border are official crossing points where U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers regulate the flow of…
Blueprint
How the United States Should Address Refugee Protection at its Border
November 9, 2018
As men, women and children flee violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, the Trump Administration has launched a barrage of punitive and threatening actions aimed at…
Press
Statement in Response to President Trump’s Attacks on Refugees
November 1, 2018
New York City—Today in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement on access to protection at the southern border and increased detention for refugees, Human Rights…
Press
DHS Report Confirms CBP Blocking People Seeking Refugee Protection at Southern Border
October 2, 2018
New York City—Following the release of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on the Trump Administration’s family separation…
Blueprint
How to Address the Global Refugee Crisis and Safeguard U.S. National Security
September 10, 2018
Historically, the United States has been a global leader in protecting vulnerable refugees fleeing persecution. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have recognized the moral and…
Press
Human Rights First Partners with Dechert LLP, Aldea PJC to Provide Representation to Refugee Families Detained in Pennsylvania
July 24, 2018
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today announced that it will partner with Dechert LLP and Aldea – The People’s Justice Center to provide free legal representation…
Blog
Zero-Tolerance Criminal Prosecutions: Punishing Asylum Seekers and Separating Families
July 18, 2018
By Eleni Bakst and Jake Benhabib Between April and June 2018, Human Rights First researchers conducted three monitoring missions to McAllen, Brownsville, Laredo, and El Paso,…
Press
New Trump Administration Guidance Aims to Block Asylum Access
July 12, 2018
New York City—In response to new guidance put forth by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that aims to block those seeking protection from…
Press
DHS Secretary Nielsen Meets with Immigration and Human Rights Groups for First Time, Reiterates Trump Administration’s Misinformation and Sidesteps Family Immigration Crisis
July 9, 2018
Washington D.C.—Today, leaders of several immigrant and human rights organizations were invited for the first time under the Trump administration to meet with Secretary of…
Press
DOJ Proposes New Regulations to Block Asylum Seekers from Protection
June 29, 2018
New York City—Human Rights First today condemned draft regulations reportedly put forth by the Department of Justice that would bar many refugees with well-founded fears of persecution,…
Blog
What’s Happening to Families at the Border 101
June 19, 2018
So you want to know what’s happening to children at the border and aren’t sure where to start? No problem! It’s complicated. Here we’ve answered…
Blog
The Trump Administration is Putting Up a “No Vacancy” Sign
June 18, 2018
Reports from across the U.S.-Mexico border show that border agents are once again illegally turning away families seeking protection. Our report, Crossing The Line, exposed this…
Press
New Report Documents Mental, Physical, Legal Impact of Increased Detention in Texas
June 14, 2018
Houston, Texas—As the Trump Administration ramps up detention of refugees and migrants as part of its zero-tolerance policy, Human Rights First today released a new report analyzing…
Report
Ailing Justice: Texas. Soaring Immigration Detention, Shrinking Due Process
June 14, 2018
Key Findings: Many immigrants in Texas, including asylum seekers, remain in unnecessary, lengthy, and prolonged detention—sometimes for well over one year. Among those in prolonged detention:…
Press
Human Rights First Witnesses Administration’s Attempts to Stall Refugee Caravan
April 30, 2018
San Ysidro, California—Human Rights First today called on the Trump Administration to end its attempts to hinder members of the refugee caravan from seeking protection…
Press
Human Rights First to Assist Asylum Seekers in “Caravan” Arriving at Border
April 26, 2018
Los Angeles, California—As a caravan of Central American refugees and migrants makes its way to the U.S. southern border, Human Rights First today announced that…
Press
Halt of Critical Program is Another Attack on Due Process, Access to Counsel in Immigration Courts
April 11, 2018
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemned a decision by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to temporarily halt a critical program that provides legal information to detained immigrants and asylum seekers. The suspension of the Legal…
Fact Sheet
Mexico: Still Not Safe for Refugees and Migrants
March 23, 2018
The Trump Administration seeks to prevent refugees who pass through Mexico from receiving asylum in the United States. In addition to pushing for legislative change…
Blog
Taking The Fight for Asylum Seekers to Court
March 15, 2018
This year the Trump Administration has engaged in an unprecedented assault on asylum seekers and refugees. From the refugee ban to fear-mongering over MS-13, turning…
Report
Ailing Justice—New Jersey: Inadequate Healthcare, Indifference, and Indefinite Confinement in Immigration Detention
February 27, 2018
Every year, the U.S. government locks up hundreds of thousands of immigrants despite the existence of effective—and cost-effective—alternative-to-detention programs. Detention itself can be traumatizing,…
Press
New Report Documents Physical, Mental Health Care Deficiencies in New Jersey Detention Facilities
February 27, 2018
New York City—Human Rights First today released a new report on immigration detention in New Jersey that analyzes the mental, physical, and legal impacts of detention on…
Press
Supreme Court Sends Indefinite Detention of Immigrants, Asylum Seekers back to Ninth Circuit
February 27, 2018
Washington, D.C.—Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Jennings v. Rodriguez, in which the Court sent the case back to the Ninth Circuit to evaluate the constitutionality of…
Press
Secure and Succeed Act Holds Dreamers Hostage, Punishes Asylum Seekers
February 13, 2018
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemned introduction of the Secure and Succeed Act, calling the legislation a cruel attempt to punish asylum seekers and migrants…
Press
Human Rights First Tours New Jersey Immigration Detention Facilities
February 9, 2018
New York City—Following tours this week of three immigration detention facilities in New Jersey, Human Rights First calls on the Trump Administration, Immigration and Customs…
Press
New Guidelines for Asylum Processing Will Harm Refugees Stuck in the Backlog
January 31, 2018
New York City—Human Rights First warned that changes announced today by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process asylum applications in reverse order—with the newest…
Press
Administrative Holds DACA Hostage to Undermine Asylum, Refugee System
January 26, 2018
New York City—Human Rights First today denounced the Trump Administration’s immigration framework—billed as a “legislative fix” for protecting DACA recipients—as a shameful and dishonest ploy…
Press
Administration Urged to Resume Processing Refugees as 90-Day Ban Expires
January 23, 2018
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today calls on the Trump Administration to resume processing of refugees from 11 countries that had been subjected to the president’s…
Press
Report Documents Administration’s Shameful Criminal Prosecution of Asylum Seekers at Border
January 19, 2018
New York City—A new report released today shows that amid President Trump’s campaign to block refugees seeking protection from this country, his administration has increased the criminal…
Press
Goodlatte Bill Aims to Divide Families and Harm Refugees in Need of Protection
January 10, 2018
New York City—Human Rights First today urged Congress to reject the “Securing America’s Future Act” introduced today by Representatives Goodlatte, Labrador, McCaul, and McSally, which…
Blog
Asylum Seekers Wrongfully Prosecuted at the Border
November 17, 2017
By Olga Byrne Last week, I was in federal court for the Western District of Texas to observe criminal proceedings against individuals charged with violating section 1325…
Blog
Will Trump DHS Nominee Adhere to International Law?
November 8, 2017
This content originally appeared in the Huffington Post On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee will have the opportunity to question Kirstjen Nielson, President Trump’s…
Blog
The Jane Doe Case and the Denial of Health Care to Detained Immigrants
November 6, 2017
On October 24, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the federal government to refrain from blocking Jane Doe, a pregnant 17-year-old…
Blog
Next Steps After Regional Refugee Conference in Honduras
October 31, 2017
By Eleanor Acer On Thursday evening in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, I watched as a number of Central American states adopted a declaration agreeing to…
Blog
Trump’s DREAMer Negotiations Threaten Other Child Migrants
October 24, 2017
A little more than one month after President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, his administration issued a list…
Press
New Report on Immigration Court Backlog Reveals Administration’s Efforts to Undermine Asylum System
October 17, 2017
New York City—As the Trump Administration continues its attack on the U.S. refugee protection system, Human Rights First today released a new report that analyzes…
Report
Titled Justice: Backlogs Grow While Fairness Shrinks in U.S. Immigration Courts
October 17, 2017
The backlog in the U.S. immigration courts has reached an all-time high, with 632,261 cases pending as of August 2017. In some of the nation’s…
Press
Sessions Spreads Lies about U.S. Asylum System
October 12, 2017
Washington, D.C.—In response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s speech today on the U.S. asylum system, Human Rights First’s Eleanor Acer has released the following statement:…
Blog
Sessions Presses Bogus Asylum Narrative at the Immigration Courts
October 12, 2017
By Eleanor Acer This morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the headquarters of the U.S. immigration courts in Falls Church, Virginia to attack asylum…
Fact Sheet
Trump Administration Immigration Policy Priorities
October 12, 2017
On October 8, 2017, the Trump Administration released a set of “Immigration Policy Priorities,”—a list of demands to be included in legislation that would address…
Press
Administration Immigration “Principles” Extreme Attempt to Shut Out Refugees
October 9, 2017
New York City—Last night the Trump Administration set forth a list of “Immigration Policy Priorities,” which come as lawmakers debate a deal to allow Deferred…
Blog
A Second Chance for Detained Asylum Seekers in Jennings v. Rodriguez
October 5, 2017
As I waited outside of the Supreme Court Tuesday morning to observe the case Jennings v. Rodriguez, the line wrapped around the block. To my…
Report
Judge and Jailer: Asylum Seekers Denied Parole in Wake of Trump Executive Order
September 29, 2017
On January 25, 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allocate “all legally available resources” to…
Press
United States to Admit All-Time Low Number of Refugees in 2018
September 27, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemned the Trump Administration for setting the refugee admissions goal at an all-time low number for fiscal year 2018. After…
Press
Administration to Set Refugee Admissions Cap at All-Time Low
September 13, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Following reports that the administration is considering dropping the number of admitted refugees to an all-time low for fiscal year 2018, Human Rights First…
Blog
Remembering Juan Osuna
August 22, 2017
Juan Osuna, the former director of the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), passed away suddenly last week. He will be sorely missed. Juan served…
Blog
Stephen Miller and Emma’s Torch
August 10, 2017
By Rosalind Faulkner Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates…
Press
Human Rights First Files Amicus in Support of U.S.-Affiliated Iraqi Refugees
August 4, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, Human Rights First filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco in the case of Hawaii v. Trump in support of the thousands…
Blog
Left Behind: Refugee Ban Abandons Vulnerable Orphans
August 2, 2017
By Andrea Gillespie If the Lost Boys of Sudan were seeking safety in the United States today, they would be out of luck. In 1999,…
Press
House Bill Would Return Persecuted Refugees to Danger
July 26, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today urged members of the House Judiciary Committee to reject the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act when it marks up…
Blog
Seeking Asylum is Not a Crime, but Trump is Prosecuting Them Anyway
July 20, 2017
In the month since Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memorandum asking all federal prosecutors to make “immigration offenses higher priorities,” criminal prosecutions for “illegal entry” and “reentry”…
Press
Trump Administration Increasing Prosecution for First-Time Border Crossers in Arizona
July 14, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemns U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Tucson Sector’s decision to increase referrals for criminal prosecution of individuals—including asylum seekers—who cross the U.S.…
Press
Trump Administration Should Immediately Restart Refugee Admissions
July 14, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today urged the Trump Administration to immediately begin admitting refugees into the United States in light of a U.S. district court ruling that strikes…
Blog
Al Hadi’s Prosecution Showcases Confusion, Inadequacy in Guantanamo
July 14, 2017
By Camille Marrero Two weeks ago I sat behind glass in a courtroom gallery looking at a defendant seated with his attorneys. Across the room…
Press
Trump Administration Slams the Door on Refugees
July 12, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First said today that the Trump Administration’s decision to slam the door on tens of thousands of vulnerable individuals is a shameful…
Press
Court Rules that Family Detention Violates Flores Agreement
June 28, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today praised a California district court ruling finding that the federal government’s use of family detention facilities continues to violate…
Press
Executive Order Implementation Should Not Block Refugee Resettlement
June 28, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today urged the Trump Administration to make clear that refugees who are already being processed for U.S. resettlement have a…
Press
Sec. Kelly Urged to Uphold U.S. Legal Commitments to Asylum Seekers After Court Ruling
June 27, 2017
Washington, D.C.—In the wake of yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that will lift a stay on some aspects of President Trump’s revised executive order on resettlement and visas, Human…
Press
Supreme Court Reschedules Jennings Immigration Detention Case
June 26, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today expressed its concern over the Supreme Court’s decision to schedule the Jennings v. Rodriguez case for reargument in its next session, a…
Press
Tillerson, Kelly Urged to Reaffirm U.S. Commitment to Refugees at Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America
June 15, 2017
Washington, D.C.—As Secretaries of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security John Kelly meet today and tomorrow in Miami for the Conference on Prosperity and Security…
Blog
Immigration Detention: Worse than Death?
May 24, 2017
Martin Méndez Pineda was held in U.S. immigration detention for over 100 days. As a journalist, Martin reported on federal police violence in one of Mexico’s most violent states.…
Press
President’s Budget Request Would Harm Refugees and Asylum Seekers
May 23, 2017
Washington, D.C.— Human Rights First today called on Congress to reject President Trump’s budget proposals that target refugees and asylum seekers. The president’s proposed budget…
Fact Sheet
Credible Fear Screening and Fraud Safeguards
May 23, 2017
The United States has, over decades, established rigorous, interagency procedures to vet and screen asylum seekers. Human Rights First has detailed the asylum system’s fraud…
Blog
Washington Week on Human Rights: May 22, 2017
May 22, 2017
By Mary Elizabeth Margolis Top Items Ambassador Haley Travels to Jordan and Turkey U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is currently on a…
Press
Haley Urged to Seek a Comprehensive Solution to Syrian Refugee Crisis During Upcoming Trip to Jordan and Turkey
May 19, 2017
New York City—As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley prepares to travel to Jordan and Turkey, Human Rights First today called on Ambassador Haley to prioritize not only U.S. humanitarian…
Press
House Judiciary Committee Urged to Reject Bill Targeting Refugees and Asylum Seekers During Today’s Hearing
May 18, 2017
Washington, D.C. – Human Rights first today, along with 25 leading human rights, refugee resettlement, and faith organizations, called on the House Judiciary Committee to reject…
Blog
DHS Secretary Kelly Using Alt-Facts about Asylum
May 10, 2017
By Eleanor Acer Last Friday, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly defended the controversial deportation of a Honduran woman and her young child. “Now remember the vast…
Press
Secretary Kelly Wrongly Implies Majority of Asylum Seekers Present False Claims
May 4, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today expressed alarm over statements made this morning by Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly in which he implied that the vast…
Press
New Report Documents U.S. Border Agents Illegally Turning Away Asylum Seekers at U.S. Border
May 3, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today released a major new report documenting dozens of instances in which U.S. border agents illegally turned away asylum seekers from the…
Report
Crossing the Line: U.S. Border Agents Illegally Reject Asylum Seekers
May 3, 2017
The U.S. government is illegally turning away asylum seekers at official land crossings all along the southern border. Border agents must refer a person seeking…
Press
Supreme Court Upholds Flawed Ruling Against Asylum Seekers
April 17, 2017
New York City — Human Rights First today expressed serious concern that the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Castro v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leaving in place…
Press
Sessions Proposal to Prosecute “Illegal” Entry at Southern Border Violates U.S. Treaty Commitments
April 11, 2017
Washington, D.C.—In response to comments made today by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Human Rights First cautioned that efforts to criminally prosecute those who cross the U.S.…
Blog
Parole Denials Lead to Increased Detention Under Trump’s Executive Order
April 10, 2017
President Trump’s so-called Muslim ban, in both iterations, has received widespread attention. Meanwhile, aside from its call for a border wall, his January 25 executive…
Press
Kelly Signals DHS Will Not Separate Parents and Children
April 5, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today cautiously welcomed statements made by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kelly during Senate hearing confirming that the agency will not generally…
Press
Senators Should Question Kelly on Upholding Commitments to Refugees, Asylum Seekers
April 5, 2017
Washington, D.C.—In a statement submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Human Rights First today urged senators to question Department of Homeland Security…
Testimony
Statement to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing on “Improving Border Security and Public Safety”
April 5, 2017
The United States has laws and policies designed to protect refugees from return to persecution. In the wake of World War II, the United States…
Blog
Separating Children from their Parents to Deter Other Asylum Seekers is Unlawful and Cruel
March 13, 2017
By Robyn Barnard and Natasha Arnpriester Last week Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly said he “would do almost anything to deter the…
Press
U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Urged to Stand with Salvadoran LGBT Community in Time of Violence
March 7, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today called on the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador Jean Elizabeth Manes to publicly express her concerns regarding…
Report
Violations at the Border: The El Paso Sector
February 28, 2017
On January 25, 2017, President Trump signed the “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” executive order. On February 20, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly…
Press
New Report Examines Asylum Violations in El Paso as Trump Implements Executive Orders
February 28, 2017
New York City—As the Trump Administration begins to implement the president’s executive order on immigration enforcement along the southern border, Human Rights First today released…
Blog
Immigration Courts Lack Funding – Trump Uses Backlogs to Justify Blocking Access
February 23, 2017
This blog is cross posted with The Huffington Post Over the last ten years, funding for immigration courts has remained largely stagnant, even as funding for…
Press
Administration Urged to Press El Salvador on Protection of Transgender Citizens
February 23, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Following an alarming string of murders of transgender women in El Salvador, Human Rights First today called on the State Department to urge the Salvadoran government to investigate and combat…
Letter
Letter to Kelly and Tillerson on Executive Order Enforcement
February 21, 2017
The Honorable John F. Kelly Secretary of Homeland Security The Honorable Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Re: U.S. Global Leadership on Human Rights and Refugee…
Press
DHS Enforcement Memo Would Limit Access to Protection for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
February 21, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First expressed its opposition to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum implementing President Trump’s January 25 executive order on immigration enforcement…
Press
DHS Memorandum Would Undermine Access to Asylum, Impose Arbitrary Detention
February 17, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First expressed its opposition to proposals included in a draft Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum outlining potential steps to implement…
Press
Amicus Brief Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Safeguards to Limit Arbitrary, Prolonged Detention for Asylum Seekers
February 10, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today, along with the pro bono assistance of Patterson, Belknap, Webb, and Tyler LLP, filed a supplemental amicus brief urging the…
Press
Ninth Circuit Ruling on Trump Executive Order a Victory for the Rule of Law
February 9, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First said that today’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that refused to reinstate President Trump’s executive order is a victory…
Blog
Asylum Seekers Already Face Prolonged Detention
February 9, 2017
By Gemma Hallett President Trump’s January 27 executive order, which banned immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspended the U.S. refugee program for longer, has captured much of…
Press
New Attorney General Jeff Sessions Should Honor his Pledges to Uphold the Law
February 8, 2017
New York City— Human Rights First today urged the newly confirmed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to enforce and uphold the law as he has pledged to…
Press
Secretary Kelly Urged to Uphold U.S. Obligations to Protect Refugees
February 7, 2017
New York City—Following testimony today by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly before the House Homeland Security Committee, Human Rights First urged DHS to…
Press
Department of Homeland Security to Continue Processing Asylum Applications
February 6, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today welcomed reports that the Department of Homeland Security will continue adjudicating asylum and other applications for individuals in the United…
Press
Human Rights First and Coalition Partners Launch Campaign to Fight the Assault on Refugee Rights
February 6, 2017
Washington, D.C.– In response to President Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration and refugees, Human Rights First along with a coalition of leading human rights,…
Blog
Questions for Secretary Kelly
February 6, 2017
By Eleanor Acer Tomorrow morning the new Secretary for Homeland Security, General John F. Kelly, will testify before the House Homeland Security Committee. The hearing, “Ending the…
Press
Suspension of Asylum Grants Would Put Vulnerable Individuals at Risk
January 31, 2017
New York City—Human Rights First today expressed grave concerns about reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended decision-making in asylum and other…
Blog
Executive Orders Could Block Access to Asylum for Vulnerable Individuals
January 27, 2017
With Wednesday’s executive order, “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements,” President Trump seems poised to block access to asylum at the U.S. border, subjecting asylum seekers…
Blog
AAP: Trump’s Immigration Executive Orders Are Harmful to Children
January 26, 2017
Yesterday, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a strong rebuke in the wake of the President’s Executive Orders on immigration and asylum seekers. “Immigrant families are our…
Press
Executive Orders Undermine Access to Protection for U.S. Asylum Seekers
January 25, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemned an executive order signed by President Trump that appears aimed at blocking access to asylum for refugees at the…
Blog
Washington Week on Human Rights: January 23, 2017
January 23, 2017
By Mary Elizabeth Margolis Top Items New Administration Today is the first full business day of the Trump Administration. The new president has promised to…
Blog
Creating a More Inclusive El Salvador
January 18, 2017
By Nicole Santamaria, Guest Author Nearly two years ago, I was forced to leave my beloved country of El Salvador. I worked for the Colectivo…
Press
Questions Remain Following Sessions Confirmation Hearing
January 11, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Following yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), nominee for Attorney General, Human Rights First said that it will hold him…
Press
House Should Reject Bills that Undermine U.S. Protection of Refugees
January 11, 2017
Washington, D.C.— Human Rights First today urged members of the House Judiciary Committee to reject the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act (H.R. 391) introduced yesterday…
Press
Senate Urged to Question Cabinet Nominees on Commitment to Upholding Human Rights During Confirmation Hearings
January 9, 2017
Washington, D.C. – Human Rights First today urged the Senate to question cabinet nominees on their commitment to fundamental principles of human rights during confirmation hearings…
Blog
Correcting the Record: Recently Arrived Immigrants Show Up for Their Hearings
November 30, 2016
As media outlets continue to cover the increase in Central Americans seeking protection at the U.S. southern border, some are citing statistics that do not…
Press
New Analysis Finds Hurdles to Release, Asylum in New Jersey Immigration Detention Facilities
November 17, 2016
New York City—Human Rights First today released a report detailing high rates of immigration detention of asylum seekers in New Jersey, which finds that asylum seekers are often detained…
Issue Brief
Detention of Asylum Seekers in New Jersey
November 17, 2016
In October 2016 Human Rights First visited the Essex County Correctional Facility, Hudson County Correctional Facility, and Elizabeth Detention Center, the three principal facilities used…
Blog
Immigration Detention Reaches Historic Highs as Asylum Seekers Sit in Prolonged Detention
October 28, 2016
By Olga Byrne Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials expect the number of people in immigration detention…
Blog
Immigration Detention Reaches Historic Highs as Asylum Seekers Sit in Prolonged Detention
October 28, 2016
By Olga Byrne Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials expect the number of people in immigration detention to reach…
Press
Amicus Argues that U.S. Immigration Detention Policies Violate International Human Rights Obligations
October 25, 2016
Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First along with Patterson, Belknap, Webb, and Tyler LLP filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Jennings v. Rodriguez, arguing that U.S. international…
Blog
Washington Week on Human Rights: October 24, 2016
October 24, 2016
Top Items LGBT On Wednesday, October 26 National Security Advisor Susan Rice will deliver an address focused on the Obama Administration’s efforts to protect and expand the…
Testimony
Statement for the Record of Eleanor Acer: Oversight of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
September 30, 2016
Over the last year Human Rights First has issued several reports on this country’s escalating detention of asylum seekers. As detailed in those reports, Human…
Press
New Analysis Finds Hurdles to Release, Asylum in Georgia Immigration Detention Facilities
September 22, 2016
Washington, D.C.—In a new analysis released today, Human Rights First found that asylum seekers and immigrants detained in Georgia are often held for long periods of time…
Press
Obama Summit a Welcome Step in the Right Direction, but Gaps and Serious Rights Violations Remain
September 21, 2016
New York City—Human Rights First today applauded President Obama for hosting yesterday’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, which brought together members of the international community to…
Press
Human Rights First’s Acer Addresses U.N. High Level Meeting on Refugees
September 19, 2016
New York City—In remarks today before the U.N. High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants, Human Rights First’s Eleanor Acer urged countries to uphold commitments to refugee…
Press
Congress Should Fund White House’s Increased Refugee Resettlement Goal
September 14, 2016
New York City—Human Rights First today welcomes the Obama Administration’s decision to increase the number of refugees resettled in the United States to at least…
Blog
Washington Week on Human Rights: September 12, 2016
September 12, 2016
Top Items Global Refugee Crisis This Thursday the White House will host an event to celebrate the contributions of refugees resettled in the United States. The…
Press
Comprehensive Plan Details How U.S. Should Lead on Global Refugee Crisis
August 31, 2016
Washington, D.C. — Human Rights First today released “Respecting Rights and Securing Solutions,” a comprehensive plan for how the United States should address the global refugee…
Press
Federal Court Ruling Denies Families in Immigration Detention Review of Legality of their Removal
August 30, 2016
Washington, D.C. – Human Rights First today decried the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit’s ruling in Castro v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security that denies 28 mothers detained in…
Press
Homeland Security Orders Review of Privatized Immigration Detention Facilities
August 29, 2016
Washington, D.C. ‑ Following today’s announcement from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson directing the Homeland Security Advisory Council to evaluate whether immigration detention operations…
Press
U.S. Reaches 10,000 Syrian Refugee Resettlement Goal
August 29, 2016
Washington, D.C. – Human Rights First today praised the Obama Administration for reaching its goal of admitting “at least 10,000” Syrian refugees in fiscal year 2016.…
Press
Department of Homeland Security Urged to End Use of Private Prisons for Immigration Detention
August 18, 2016
New York City—In the wake of the announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that it will end its reliance on private prisons, Human Rights First today called on…
Blog
Running for Refugees
August 1, 2016
When I run, I think a lot about the brave refugee men, women, and children I meet through my job as a social worker at…
Blog
Washington Week on Human Rights: August 1, 2016
August 1, 2016
Top News Immigration Detention This Wednesday, August 3rd the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and Human Rights First will ho