President Obama has an ever narrowing window of opportunity to correct some of the shocking human rights abuses which are currently happening in the US. We are urging him to:
1. Close Guantanamo Bay
2. Protect refugees and those seeking asylum
3. Support Native American and Alaskan Native communities
After a US election campaign fueled by racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, it is vital that President Obama not leave these important human rights issues to president-elect Trump.
Obama must act before it's too late.
The rhetoric used by President-Elect Trump has awoken a deeply concerning era for human rights in the world, however fear and hate do not have to win the day.
Join us as we call on Obama to take a stand for human rights during his final days in office.
To Warren Neil Eggleston, White House Counsel
Dear Mr. Eggleston,
Please urge President Obama to make the following human rights issues a priority during his last 100 days in office:
Closing Guantánamo:
Though the Obama administration has made significant headway this year in transferring detainees from the prison at Guantánamo Bay, 60 still remain. Many of these detainees have not been charged with a crime despite being held for as many as 14 years. If President Obama fails to close Guantánamo, it is all too likely that the island prison will remain open indefinitely, perhaps even taking new detainees captured in a forever, global “war” in which the entire world is treated as a battlefield.
Protect Asylum-Seekers and Refugees:
Stark homicide rates, ineffective legal structures, and corrupt law enforcement officials have forced many people to flee their homes in the “Northern Triangle” countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to seek refuge in Mexico and the U.S. However, not only does the U.S. deny the asylum claims of many people seeking refuge, the government then sends them back directly to the countries from which they fled. President Obama has the power to protect women, men, and children who have fled unimaginable violence — and he must take action urgently, by ensuring that people who have fled Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are treated with compassion as they try to rebuild their lives safely. He can do that with a stroke of the pen, by designating all three countries for Temporary Protective Status.
Support sexual assault survivors in Native American and Alaskan Native communities:
Women in these communities face higher rates of sexual violence than non-Indigenous women and also face barriers in accessing justice or even basic post-rape care, including a lack of standardized sexual assault protocols. The President should instruct the Indian Health Service to revise and enforce the standardized sexual assault protocols ensuring that they include instructions on how health service providers should respond to child survivors of sexual violence; and allow persons who perform the sexual assault forensic examinations to testify in a criminal prosecution.
[Your comments here]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
