Category: Human Rights First

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First said that today’s release by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Walk Free Foundation, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of new estimates on the number of victims of modern slavery across the globe demonstrate the need for the U.S. government to redouble its efforts to disrupt the business.

Washington, D.C.—Yesterday Human Rights First and its project Veterans for American Ideals, along with No One Left Behind and Vietnam Veterans of America, filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of Trump v. International Refugees Assistance Project in support of the thousands of refugees targeted by the Trump Administration’s travel ban.

New York City—In response to President Trump’s United Nations General Assembly address, in which he falsely claimed that resettling one refugee is as expensive as supporting ten individuals in frontline countries and cited a now-disputed study that outlined the cost of resettling refugees, Human Rights First’s Eleanor Acer released the following statement:

“By attempting to pit support for frontline-hosting states and support for refugees in need of resettlement against each other, the president is presenting a false and short-sighted choice.

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today condemned the passage of the Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act in the House of Representatives, and urged the Senate to reject the legislation, which would have severely negative consequences for asylum seekers and refugees fleeing persecution. 

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today called on the Trump Administration to use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to levy targeted sanctions against individuals in 15 cases from around the world who have engaged in significant human rights violations and grand corruption. The call came in a letter and package of materials delivered to the secretary of state and secretary of treasury.