Andrew I. Schoenholtz, Jaya Ramji-Nogales, & Philip G. Schrag, The End of Asylum
Human Rights First, Human Rights Travesty: Biden Administration Embrace of Trump Asylum Expulsion Policy Endangers Lives, Wreaks Havoc OR Lindsay Muir Harris, Asylum Under Attack: Restoring Asylum Protection in the United States
Sarah Blue, Jennifer Devine, Matthew Ruiz, Kathryn McDaniel, Alisa Hartsell, Christopher Pierce, Makayla Johnson, Allison K. Tinglov, Mei Yang, Xiu Wu, Sara Moya, Elle Cross & Carol Anne Starnes, Im/Mobility at the US–Mexico Border during the COVID-19 Pandemic OR Ashley Binetti Armstrong, Co-opting Coronavirus, Assailing Asylum
Ricardo Gallego, Immigration and LGBTQ Intersections: A Pioneering Project on the San Diego/Tijuana Border
Queer and Trans Migrations: Dynamics of Illegalization, Detention, and Deportation (edited by Eithne Luibhéid and Karma R. Chávez)
Heba Gowayed, Refuge: How the State Shapes Human Potential
Lindsay Muir Harris & Hillary Mellinger, Asylum Attorney Burnout and Secondary Trauma
Immigration History Research Center, Immigrants in COVID America
Rachel A. Lewis, LGBTQ Migration Crises
Human Rights Watch, Immigration and United States: Events of 2020
Human Rights Institute, Perspectives on Human Rights and Fact-Finding Practicum Reports
University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Migration Scholar Collaborative
Freedom for Immigrants, The Immigration Detention Syllabus
As you engage with the materials, we encourage you to reflect on the materials in whatever way you process—whether through provocations, questions, or discussions.
To facilitate discussion, we invite you to join us for a panel discussion with scholars and community members on this topic to reflect together and find different ways to challenge our understanding. More information on the panel is available under Scholar Series. We also welcome your own reflections and questions through our reflection form.
If you are looking for asynchronous reflection, we offer the following questions to guide your reflection:
Who or what has informed and shaped your understanding of human rights? Whose rights are at the center? Reflect on the dominant human rights discourse that focuses on international human rights violations and hides the inequities within the United States. Is this intentional?
In what ways did the readings/videos/podcasts challenge your current understanding of human rights abuses and violations within the United States?
Think about the intersections between human rights, imperialism, colonialism, and (im)migration. What do global/international accountability and solidarity require, and how can it be achieved? What can be the role of lawyers in facilitating this accountability?
What does advancing human rights for all mean to you? What does it require from you, and what are you willing to commit to?
Option 1: Develop a monthly plan outlining how you will commit to learning more about the history of the land you occupy, building relationships with Indigenous peoples, and paying land taxes for your occupation.
Option 2: Get involved with the Afghan Network For Advocacy and Resources as a legal volunteer, sponsor, or translator.
Option 3: Donate time, skills, and/or money to grassroots organizations and initiatives such as Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, Midwest Immigration Bond Fund, CAIR Coalition, Pangea Legal Services, CARECEN, and Ayuda; invest in mutual aid networks such as DC Mutual Aid Network or Indigenous Mutual Aid Groups; and/or mobilize for border abolition and collective liberation. A comprehensive database on local mutual aid networks across the nation is available here.
Option 4: Create a weekly or monthly donation plan based on your income and generational wealth to redistribute your wealth. Use this master list to identify organizations, networks, and funds you plan to commit to.