Today, over 100 high school and university students from 34 states across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in Amnesty International USA’s annual national Youth Lobby Day for the safeguarding of human rights.
This year, young people urged members of Congress to defend human rights in immigration and foreign policy, especially against the backdrop of the U.S.’s increasingly bleak human rights record under President Trump.
Students advocated for the passage of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, as they delivered paper dolls to congressional offices, as part of the Paper Dolls to Free Families national campaign calling for the end of family detention. They also urged Congress to push for accountability for victims of the U.S. military’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Seas.
“Today’s Youth Lobby Day comes at a critical time, as we witness a stark increase in authoritarian practices in the United States,” said Amanda Klasing, Amnesty International USA’s National Director for Government Relations. “Congress must work towards justice and accountability for the relentless assault on immigrant rights and blatant disregard for international law that the U.S. is bound by. We are inspired by and grateful for the power of youth voices in raising the urgency of this human rights emergency.”
Today’s Youth Lobby Day also kicks off Amnesty International USA’s National Week of Student Action.
“From protests for civil rights to those against the Vietnam War, youth and students have consistently helped bring about the change we so desperately need to advance human rights both here in the U.S. and abroad,” said Atticus Fasnakis, a student at Haverford College and Legislative Coordinator for Amnesty International USA. “I am excited to be a part of this history by supporting the rights of immigrants and refugees. As we mark National Week of Student Action, young people must continue to speak out, organize, and demand accountability from our lawmakers. Our generation will inherit the consequences of today’s decisions, and we must ensure the rights and dignity of all people remain non-negotiable.”
Background
Amnesty International has determined the U.S. military’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Seas, which have killed 150 people, are extrajudicial executions, as defined by international law. It is well past time for Congress to act to stop these killings. Since the U.S. military started its air strike campaign last September, some lawmakers have attempted to take legislative action to stop the strikes, but as a whole, Congress has abdicated its duty to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. Amnesty International USA has urged Congress to work together to exercise its oversight role.
Amnesty International has also called for the cutting of funds to ICE and Border Patrol and an end to the inhumane and cruel treatment of immigrants by the Trump administration. As part of the National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention, Amnesty International USA has also launched the Paper Dolls to Free Families national campaign, which invites individuals from across the country to create paper dolls and deliver them to lawmakers, urging Congress to end the practice of family detention and pass legislation such as the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would overhaul the deadly and abusive immigration detention system and bring it closer into line with human rights standards.
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