Private Contractor Defends Detention Inspections Deemed "Useless" by ICE Staff
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-28
| Lawmakers got a rare chance on Thursday to publicly question the embattled CEO of the Nakamoto Group, which has faced a torrent of criticism from government officials and human rights groups for providing substandard inspections of immigrant detention centers. | Members of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, & Accountability seemed shocked when Jennifer Nakamoto testified that she sees no need to change her business practice…
truthout.org/articles/private-contractor-defends-detention-inspections-deemed-useless-by-ice-staff/

Julian Assange's father to receive award on behalf of his son
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-28
Julian Assange's father is to receive an award on behalf of his son on 28 September, after launching a fresh attack on the continued imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder.John Shipton said Assange was still being kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day at top security Belmarsh prison in London, even though he was due to be released earlier this month.He had served time for a bail violation after he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for almost seven years as he fought moves to ex…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/09/28/julian-assanges-father-to-receive-award-on-behalf-of-his-son/

Sacramento, California killer cops return to work 18 months after murdering 22-year-old Stephon Clark
wsws.org | 2019-09-28
The two Sacramento, California, police officers who fatally shot unarmed Clark 20 times last year returned to work Thursday after no federal civil rights charges were brought against them.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/28/clar-s28.html

Manufactured Misery at the Tijuana Border Crossing
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-28
| We hear many stories about El Paso and the other border-crossing points in Texas, as we should. But the largest crossing point in the entire hemisphere, with tens of thousands of people waiting to cross over into the U.S. is in Tijuana, Mexico. | We don't often hear about the families that face four to six months in Tijuana before they can even cross over into U.S. detention. We don't hear that when their numbers are finally called, they cross over into a "hielera," or "icebox." We don't hear that, even after t…
truthout.org/articles/manufactured-misery-at-the-tijuana-border-crossing/

At UN, Sudanese Prime Minister says 'great revolution has succeeded,' country will rebuild, restore values
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-28
The "great revolution" of Sudan has succeeded and the Government and people and will now rebuild and restore the values ‚Äã‚Äãof human coexistence and social cohesion in the country as they try and turn the page on three decades of "abhorrent oppression, discrimination and warfare," Prime Minister Abdullah Adam Hamdok told the United Nations on Friday evening.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1048022

Millions Fear Loss of Indian Citizenship and Detention
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-27
Concern is growing in India's northeastern state of Assam that people excluded from a new citizens' registry could be sent to detention camps under construction across the state. The government says it created the registry to root out undocumented migrants, but almost 2 million people, many of whom have spent their entire lives in India,…
therealnews.com/stories/millions-fear-loss-indian-citizenship-detention

Trump Announces Plan to Admit Fewer Refugees Than Any Previous President
aclu.org | 2019-09-27
Another attack on Muslims and communities of color seeking safety. | The Trump administration yesterday announced its plan to admit 18,000 refugees this fiscal year, taking another step in its agenda to dismantle the program that has long provided protection for people and families seeking safety from persecution. This sickening announcement is consistent with Trump's attacks on refugees, Muslims, and immigrants across the board — particularly those who are Brown or Black. | The U.S. has long been a global leader in refugee admissions. By the end of the Obama administration, the United States' annual refuge…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/trump-announces-plan-admit-fewer-refugees-any-previous-president

The Trump Administration Can't Force Colleges to Further Its Anti-Muslim Agenda
aclu.org | 2019-09-27
We're demanding the administration end its politicized investigation into Duke-UNC's Middle East Studies program, and turn over all related records. | In a move that would make even Senator McCarthy blush, the Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding from a Middle East Studies program for failing to toe the government's line on Islam and Muslims. | Last week, Betsy DeVos's Department of Education sent a letter to administrators…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/using-religion-discriminate/trump-administration-cant-force-colleges-further

Judge Blocks Trump Rules for Detained Migrant Kids
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-27
LOS ANGELES — A U.S. judge on Friday blocked new Trump administration rules that would enable the government to keep immigrant children in detention facilities with their parents indefinitely. | U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles said the rules conflict with a 1997 settlement agreement that requires the government to release immigrant children caught on the border as quickly as possible to relatives in the U.S. and says they can only be held in facilities licensed by a state. | Gee said the Flores agreement — named for a teenage plaintiff — will remain in place and govern the con…
truthdig.com/articles/judge-blocks-trump-rules-for-detained-migrant-kids/

Human Rights Briefing: Updates on Egypt, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-27
Here's a roundup of human rights news this Friday: UN's Bachelet urges restraint over arrests of Egypt protestors; expert calls for 'democratic shift' in Zimbabwe; Human Rights Council agrees fact-finding mission to Venezuela; independent experts urge freedom for Saudi women's rights defender, after 500 days in prison.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047872

Language as a Prison: Why Do We Fall in Love?
Louis Yako | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
I recently had a guest visiting for a few days. On a lovely summer evening, we went for a walk. When I asked how his day went, he said it was frustrating because he wasted two hours trying to authenticate an email account. I expressed my sympathy for his lost time. He added,…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/language-as-a-prison-why-do-we-fall-in-love/

'Unconscionable': Asylum-Seekers In Texas Detention Center Report Being Denied Cancer and Mental Health Treatment
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
Immigrant rights advocates on Friday called for Karnes Residential Center, an immigration detention facility outside San Antonio, Texas, to be shut down amid reports of severe neglect that could prove deadly for women who have been held there for months. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cruelty.jpeg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/unconscionable-asylum-seekers-texas-detention-center-report-being-denied-cancer-and?cd-origin=rss

Time to stand up for public healthcare
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-27
civil rights Mischa FrankIssue 1239 Australia Medicare private health insurance funding cutsSeptember 27, 2019The federal Coali…
greenleft.org.au/content/time-stand-public-healthcare

Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients
aclu.org | 2019-09-26
H.B. 2 is cruel, offensive, and the Supreme Court should strike it down. | I'm a doctor at the only abortion clinic in Kentucky. Providing safe, compassionate medical care has been my life's calling, and my patients' well-being is always my first priority. But Kentucky politicians — determined as usual to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare — are trying to force me to harm and humili…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/kentuckys-abortion-law-forces-me-humiliate-my-patients

Israel Seizes Property from Palestinian Prisoner Rights Organization
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-26
Sahar Francis, leader of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights, talks about Israeli soldiers raiding her office at 2: 00 a.m., causing extensive damage and seizing computers, valuable documents, and materials.
therealnews.com/stories/israel-seizes-property-from-palestinian-prisoner-rights-organization

"Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_memoir_permanent_record

They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish
Finian Cunningham | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-25
John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."
mintpressnews.com/theyre-murdering-my-son-father-of-julian-assange-tells-of-pain-and-anguish/262063/

'If impeachment trump card doesn't work, it will guarantee Trump re-election,' civil rights lawyer tells RT
rt.com | 2019-09-25
With the announcement of an official impeachment inquiry, Democrats have put all their eggs in one basket, risking losing the next election if they fail to enlist enough support, civil rights attorney Robert Patillo told RT. | Read more | | Tulsi says impeachment would be 'terribly divisive' as Trump's Republican challengers back the move | Accusing US President Donald Trump of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "take actions which would benefit him politically" — that is, to investigate 2020 candidate Joe Biden's son Hunt…
rt.com/usa/469549-impeachement-pelosi-trump-elections/

White Supremacist Violence Is On the Rise. Expanding the FBI's Powers Isn't the Answer
aclu.org | 2019-09-25
Expanding law enforcement's powers will harm the communities of color that white supremacist violence targets–and undermine our constitutional rights. | In response to the increase in white supremacist violence, Congress has been holding hearings — including one today — on the urgent need to address it. But, rather than getting to the bottom of why our law enforcement agencies have failed to address white supremacist violence, some lawmakers are rushing to give law enforcement agencies harmful additional powers and creating new crimes. That approach ignores the way power, racism, and nation…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/discriminatory-profiling/white-supremacist-violence-rise-expanding-fbis

Ankle Monitors Continue the Legacy of Mass Incarceration
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-25
Pre-trial detention has shifted from brick and mortar prisons to ankle monitors for people that have yet to be charged with a crime. Advocates say that it's an alternative form of incarceration as they see an increasing number of people held without bond.
therealnews.com/stories/ankle-monitors-continue-legacy-mass-incarceration

Hong Kong is Scared of the Rioters
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-25
It was once a British police station, as well as the Victoria Prison Compound. Hong Kong inhabitants used to tremble just from hearing its name mentioned. This is where people were detained, interrogated, humiliated, tortured and disappeared. Now, after Hong Kong 'returned to China', it was converted into the Tai Kwun Center — one of …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/hong-kong-is-scared-of-the-rioters/

International Human Rights Bodies Provide a Case for Reparations
aclu.org | 2019-09-24
International human rights programs provide models for reparations. | It is common for nations where mass atrocities have taken place to engage in the process of reparation and repair. This process happened in Germany after the Holocaust, South Africa after apartheid, and here in the United States, forty years after the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. As a result, international human rights bodies have sought to lend their expertise to the process, often by holding hearings an…
aclu.org/blog/racial-justice/race-and-economic-justice/international-human-rights-bodies-provide-case

We're in Court to Protect Family Planning Care for Millions of Low-Income Patients
aclu.org | 2019-09-23
The Trump Administration is dismantling the Title X family planning program and compromising crucial health care for millions of people. | Title X is a federally funded family planning program that guarantees low-income people can receive critical health care services for free or at a reduced cost. For decades it's been one of the most effective federal health care programs, providing a wide range of vital reproductive and other services for millions of people across the country who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them. | However, the Trump administration wants to undermine that success as part of an overall…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/were-court-protect-family-planning-care-millions-low-income-patients

Opportunity Costs: Community corrections program offers a roadmap for client success
Kathryn Casteel | splcenter.org | 2019-09-23
Positive client outcomes indicate promising investment for fiscally sound prison alternatives, rather than prison construction.
splcenter.org/20190924/opportunity-costs-community-corrections-program-offers-roadmap-client-success

Victory as Jock Palfreeman released on parole
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-21
Pip HinmanIssue 1238 Bulgaria anti-racism prisoners' rights RomaSeptember 21, 2019Anti-fascist campaigner and Australian citizen Jock Palfreeman was unexpectedly granted parole on September 19 after serving…
greenleft.org.au/content/victory-jock-palfreeman-released-parole

The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education
aclu.org | 2019-09-20
A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/religion-and-public-schools/supreme-court-considers-mandatory-government

Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/youth_climate_lawsuit_juliana_v_united

California Is Ready to Ensure Every Public College Student Has Access to Abortion
aclu.org | 2019-09-19
The state legislature has passed the first bill in the nation ensuring medication abortion is available on UC and CSU campuses. | In a year when we've seen states throughout the South and Midwest move to ban abortion and restrict access to reproductive health, California could soon cement its reputation as a leader in reproductive freedom. This past week, the state legislature passed SB 24 to ensure that medication abortion is available to college students in public universities. | Jessy Rosales, a UC student, stru…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/california-ready-ensure-every-public-college-student-has-access

Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-09-18
Join the Global Climate Strike. Oppose Israel's climate apartheid.: Action AlertTell multinational corporations to stop investing in fossil fuels and in Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people. | Economic BoycottSeptember 19, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/join-global-climate-strike-oppose-israels-climate-apartheid

AmeriCorps Adopts Health Screening Process That's Fair to Candidates with Disabilities
aclu.org | 2019-09-16
Susie was disqualified from AmeriCorps NCCC for seeking therapy. Now they're changing their screening process so everyone can apply to serve. | Susie Balcom was overjoyed when she received a conditional offer to serve as a support team leader in Mississippi with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a national, residential service program for young adults. After graduating from college with a 4.0 GPA and spending two terms in the AmeriCorps state program, Susie was ready, willing, and able to fulfill her dream of serving in the national program. | However, a few weeks later, AmeriCorps NCCC to…
aclu.org/blog/disability-rights/americorps-adopts-health-screening-process-thats-fair-candidates-disabilities

Remembering the Birmingham church bombing
splcenter.org | 2019-09-15
Fifty-six years ago today, four precious little girls were murdered in one of the most heinous acts of white supremacist terror of the civil rights era.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/15/remembering-birmingham-church-bombing

NYC: Fight continues for 'No new jails!'
Michaela Warnsley | liberationnews.org | 2019-09-13
"It's up to us to keep the pressure on these shameless, opportunistic politicians, hold them accountable, and fight back!"
liberationnews.org/nyc-fight-continues-for-no-new-jails/

Judge blocks ICE from denying parole to asylum-seekers
splcenter.org | 2019-09-05
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration today to change its blanket policy of locking up people lawfully seeking asylum in the United States as a lawsuit filed by the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana makes its way through the federal courts.
splcenter.org/news/2019/09/05/judge-blocks-ice-denying-parole-asylum-seekers