American Civil Liberties Union

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) starts with a simple premise: all members of the human family possess inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights. From that modest beginning, the UDHR’s protections grow. All persons have a right to life and to be free from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The family unit is entitled to special protection from the State because of its fundamental place in society, and everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution. Much like our own Constitution, which guarantees due process for all “persons”—not just United States citizens—the UDHR makes no distinction based on alienage.