President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to nominate Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as U.S. Attorney General raises serious questions and concerns about human rights protections affecting millions of people, Amnesty International USA said today.
“Jeff Sessions has spent his career trying to use the power of the government to restrict people’s human rights and civil rights,” said Margaret Huang, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA. “People’s right to live free of discrimination and persecution in the United States is at stake, and we are deeply concerned and troubled by this nomination.”
Sessions has defended proposals to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., has been dogged by reports of having made racist statements, fought efforts to expand voting rights and implement criminal justice reform, sought to restrict immigration to the U.S., and opposed marriage equality. In the Senate, he was an outspoken opponent of a resolution condemning religious bans on people entering the U.S. and a bill that would prevent U.S. officials from using torture in interrogations.
“Jeff Sessions has been on the wrong side of a host of issues that reflect the United States’ commitment to human rights and international law. Amnesty International’s grassroots members in all 50 states will press their Senators to question him vigorously during the conformation process,” Huang said.