The ACLU Human Rights Program and the ACLU of Illinois are presenting a workshop for social justice advocates and organizations interested in developing human rights strategies to examine the detention of immigrants in the Midwest and beyond. The workshop will use a human rights lens to tackle a range of issues from:

• The background, oppressions and system failures resulting in the detention of migrants


• Preventing, exposing, and remedying abuses through facilities monitoring


• Promoting alternatives to detention


• Identifying unique issues that face vulnerable groups in detention, such as women, children, the mentally ill, and asylum seekers

• Provide an overview of universal human rights standards that protect the rights of migrants, asylum seekers, undocumented workers, and other vulnerable groups in detention;


• Identify shared advocacy goals and collaborate on solutions;


• Help develop concrete strategies for using human rights mechanisms to complement existing advocacy to end rights violations against migrants.

Who should come?
The workshop is targeted towards social justice activists, litigators, community organizers, educators, and legislative policy advocates based in the Midwest who stand for the rights of migrants held in detention.

Why should I come?
Universal human rights standards are now an ongoing part of the discourse on U.S. foreign policy, particularly relating to the treatment of people in U.S. custody. Migrants, undocumented workers and asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses while they are detained. International human rights laws and standards often provide more affirmative rights and protections than U.S. statutory or constitutional law. This training is designed to give you the tools to determine when and where human rights arguments and mechanisms could benefit your litigation, legislative, organizing, and public education strategies.

Migrant, immigrant, and undocumented communities in this country have long been invisible, although they are a vital part of the economy and culture of the U.S. Assailed by ever more extreme immigration reform legislation, and the human rights abuses under the so-called "War on Terror," immigrant communities are beginning to frame the movement in human rights terms. One of the most powerful statements of the immigrants' rights movement is "No Human Being is Illegal," affirming the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of immigration status. Human rights are providing fuel for new grassroots movements because they encompass disparate issues - such as economic and social rights and intersectional forms of discrimination - not adequately addressed in domestic law or mainstream advocacy. During this workshop, you will learn how to actively engage human rights principles to ensure due process protections and promote humane treatment.

What are the conference fees? How do I register?
The conference is free but space will be limited. Travel and accommodation scholarships will be available and will be awarded based on demonstrated need. A URL to an online registration page and workshop agenda will be available shortly. In the meantime, mark your calendars!

Contact Information
Questions? Please contact:
Ashwini Hardikar
Advocacy Associate, Human Rights Program
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
Tel: (212) 549-2663 ahardikar@aclu.org

For questions about the program, please contact:
Jamil Dakwar
Human Rights Program
American Civil Liberties Union,
125 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
Tel (212) 519-7850 jdakwar@aclu.org

Co-sponsored by:
Detention Watch Network
Midwest Coalition for Human Rights
National Immigrant Justice Center
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights