Blog of Rights
Aron
Cobbs
03/08/2011

ACLU and Human Rights at Home Campaign Remind Obama Administration of Its Obligation to Implement Global Treaty Against Racial Discrimination

By Aron Cobbs, Human Rights Program at 2:07pm

Yesterday, the Human Rights at Home Campaign, which includes the ACLU, submitted a letter to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva which held a thematic discussion on racial discrimination against people of African descent. In the context of the International Year for People of African Descent, the letter serves as an update on the status of U.S. implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), a treaty that the U.S. ratified in 1994. The letter highlights the disappointing lack of government progress to develop a comprehensive action plan to fight and end racial discrimination in the U.S., as recommended by the committee.

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02/04/2011

Defending the Dignity of Migrant Workers

By Aron Cobbs, Human Rights Program at 4:43pm

Tuesday marked the 146th Anniversary of National Freedom Day, the day on which President Abraham Lincoln signed the joint congressional resolution that outlawed slavery and became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In remarks to the president's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that "modern slavery, often hidden and unrecognized, persists today on every continent and, most tragically, right here in the United States, despite being prohibited by both domestic legislation and international law."

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07/30/2010

Compounded Vulnerability: Neglect of Detainees with Disabilities in U.S. Immigration Facilities

By Aron Cobbs, Human Rights Program at 1:10pm

Immigration Detention: July 26, 2010 marked the 20 th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The passage of the ADA, as well as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, has made the U.S. a self-proclaimed global leader in disability rights. The U.S. government is justifiably proud of the progress it has made in protecting the rights of people with disabilities in the workplace, healthcare, education and public accommodations -- all critical domains covered by the ADA.

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07/21/2010

Scrutiny for U.S. Human Rights Record

By Aron Cobbs, Human Rights Program at 2:36pm

This November, for the first time, the U.S. will face close scrutiny of its human rights record in a formal U.N. process known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Preparation began in January of this year, when U.S. officials first met with members of civil society to identify and address the nation’s most pressing, ongoing human rights issues. From January through April, various federal departments and agencies participated in these meetings including the Departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security, Education, Health and Human Services, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House. The U.S. government engaged with numerous human rights advocates in cities across the country: New Orleans, New York, El Paso, Albuquerque and Window Rock, New Mexico, San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, Birmingham, and Washington, DC.

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