IACHR Speaks out on Migrant Deaths

Following the deaths of two young Guatemalan children while in US Border Patrol custody, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has issued a statement expressing its deep concern and reminding the US of its human rights and humanitarian obligations at its southern border.  In particular, the IACHR’s strongly worded statement included the following:

“The IACHR wishes to stress that, in accordance with international human rights standards, the United States of America has an obligation to prevent human rights violations. The Commission also deems it necessary to point out that US authorities must consider the individual circumstances of migrants and asylum-seekers at and near its international borders, paying particular attention to vulnerable individuals, such as children and teenagers, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities, among others, who should be provided with special protection and personalized assistance that takes their rights and needs into account.”

We all know that the current US administration is pulling back from participation in the institutions that monitor and protect human rights, i.e., refusing to cooperate with UN Special Rapporteurs, skipping Inter-American Commission hearings on US issues, resigning from the Human Rights Council.  No doubt they will also brush off the IACHR’s statement.  But that need not mean that human rights has no place in US discourse.  Those of us here in the US, voters and residents, continue to have the power to ensure that our government takes human rights seriously.  Take part by publicizing the Inter-American Commission’s statement, by raising these issues with your elected officials, and by continuing to bring human rights home locally even as our current Administration tries its best to dismantle human rights infrastructures and undermine basic principles of human dignity.