This report is part of the University of Washington Center for Human Rights’ Immigrant Rights Observatory project, using public records research and community partnerships to monitor implementation of and compliance with state laws protecting immigrant rights. For more on the project and other publications, visit the project page here. Introduction As the United States enters

In 2019, the Washington state legislature passed a landmark “sanctuary” law aimed at safeguarding immigrant rights, the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW).[1] In doing so, it prohibits many once-routine practices that, in the past, funneled many Washington state residents into contact with federal immigration enforcement. While many migrant justice organizations worked hard to secure the

By Anu Taranath   In March with support from UWCHR, my co-director Dr. Eric Opoku Agyemang and I were able to host three activists to speak with our students, one each from Ghana, India and Mexico. Our class, “Global Service Learning and the Politics of Help,” occurred in Winter Quarter 2024 and culminated in students traveling

On Thursday, May 16th, 2024, the UW Center for Human Rights hosted our annual Spring Symposium and Awards Celebration, bringing together students, faculty, organizational partners, and the UWCHR broader community to highlight the impact of UWCHR collaborations and celebrate our students. Alongside celebrating UWCHR’s 15th anniversary, this year’s event featured a storytelling project collaboration between

Written by Nicole Grabiel   Buenos Aires is hot in December. I knew this, theoretically at least, before UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) director Angelina Godoy, associate director Gai-Hoai Nguyen, and I boarded our flights to the Argentine capital. I had packed linen pants, my lightest tops, sunscreen, a water bottle, and my trusty

The UW Center for Human Rights is proud to present eight fellowships to students carrying out human rights work. Learn more about our funding opportunities here.   Lola Burton, recipient of the Abe Osheroff and Gunnel Clark award, is an undergraduate student in Law, Societies, and Justice, working to stop deportations from Boeing Field. Sofia

911 Call Logs Reveal Increase in Reports of Suicide Attempts at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA For Immediate Release:  SEATTLE, WA, April 9, 2024 — New 911 call logs obtained by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCHR) reveal at least 6 suicide attempts by people in ICE custody at the Northwest

This research update is part of an ongoing multi-part investigation of human rights concerns at the Northwest Detention Center. Contents • Introduction • Background, Methodology, and Human Rights Standards • Sanitation of Food and Laundry • Allegations of Medical Neglect • Use of Solitary Confinement • COVID-19 and Health Standards • Reporting of Sexual Assault

New video footage released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows the moments leading up to, and directly following, a February 1, 2023 incident involving the use of chemical agents by GEO Group guards on detained people participating in a hunger strike inside the Northwest Detention Center. This footage was released following a lawsuit by

The below text is featured in the UWCHR 2022-2023 Annual Report. In May of 2023 UWCHR celebrated our first in-person Spring Symposium since 2019. On the evening of May 11, 2023, we were honored to highlight our newest project and collaboration, Strategies for Massage Parlor Workers’ Rights. Student researcher and Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP) member