General Human Rights Information

Since March 2003, there have been 83 deaths in immigration custody. No government body is responsible for accounting for these deaths.

Every day, the U.S. government detains more than 30,000 immigrants in county jails, federal detention centers, or privately run prisons. These immigrants are not detained by the government because of criminal actions; many have no criminal history at all. They are held in custody by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security while waiting for the resolutions of their immigration proceedings.

"Every year, foreign students enter the United States intenteding to leave with an educational experience -- instead they leave with the experience of incarceration in America's growing detention system."  

Download a fact sheet now!
Education as a Human Right: U.S. Detention of Foreign Students

The U.S. is among the 173 State parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18 member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfill obligations under a specific human rights agreement, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions.

View this educational guide on the damaging effects of Psychological Torture.

Eight Lessons of Torture is an educational guide developed by the Center for Victims of Torture that discusses the use of torture and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment by the U.S.

Energy of a Nation is the immigration resource center for The Advocates for Human Rights. The site provides accurate, up-to-date information and resources about immigration and immigrant rights to educators, students, advocates, and community members.

Learn more about immigration and become active in teaching others at www.energyofanation.org!

The Workers' Rights project of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights stands in solidarity with the Justice at Smithfield campaign.  The company in Tar Heel, N.C., has been found liable of physically assaulting workers, threatening bodily harm, and causing the false arrest of workers for exercising their legal rights. As the largest meat processing facility in the world, the Midwest Coalition believes that by holding this company accountable we begin to be able to change the way the industry operates as a whole.

View this Backgrounder by the National Immigration Forum for more information on State and Local Enforcement of Immigration laws. (Updated September 2007)

View Nebraska Appleseed's report on local enforcement of immigration laws - Forcing our Blues into Gray Areas. (January 2006)