U.S. Department of State Issues Human Rights Reports
Posted Mar 15, 2002

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. Under law, these reports are prepared and released each year. The detailed reports are available on the DOS WebSite.

These reports are used for a variety of governmental purposes. In the context of immigration, the reports are always taken into consideration in Asylum cases. They are also well-respected evidence in other types of cases, including various waivers and claims based upon hardship, which require proof of the conditions in the country of origin.

Secretary of State Colin Powell called the reports "one of the most important instruments America has for championing respect for fundamental freedoms all over the globe." Secretary Powell emphasized that countries with respect for human rights are "the most secure and most successful." He also discussed the role of human rights issues in American foreign policy and the United States' continuing work with foreign governments to make improvements in this area.

For anyone who has not somehow experienced these countries first-hand, or read one of the reports before, they can be quite eye opening and chilling. The terms "extra-judicial killings" (i.e. a death sentence without charge or trial), "arbitrary arrest," "deliberate mutilations," and "politically motivated disappearances" only give a small glimpse into what is routine in certain parts of the world.

We would hope that all of those who favor restrictions on immigration to the U.S. pause to learn about such horrors, commonplace for many around the world. This education might shift their perspective regarding the ability and the obligation of the U.S., as a leader of the free world, to help the sufferers of these atrocities.