Defending Migrant Rights, Building Community Power
Director of Immigration Legal Services Hanne Sandison spoke recently to supporters at our Spring Migrant Rights House Party about The Advocates' work to defend human rights throughout Operation Metro Surge and beyond.
- Increased ICE arrests across Minnesota.
- People detained at the Whipple building for days without access to a lawyer or basic necessities.
- Refugees unlawfully arrested and transferred to detention centers out of state.
- Somali community members, despite following court processes, are seeing their cases reassigned to judges in other states with limited time to prepare.
This attack on due process is targeted, disruptive, racist, and unlawful.
Inside the courtrooms, our Immigration Court Observation Project volunteers report daily deterioration of due process at hearings:
- Asylum cases dismissed before applicants can present evidence.
- People denied access to hearings that are meant to be open to the public.
The erosion of due process is not always loud. Sometimes it happens quietly, one hearing at a time, one family at a time. Our role is to be present, to bear witness, and to ensure these harmful and unlawful practices do not happen in the dark.
The erosion of due process is not always loud. Sometimes it happens quietly, one hearing at a time, one family at a time.
The Advocates for Human Rights responded in an unprecedented way. This year, we became a plaintiff, filing lawsuits directly against the government. Represented by law firm partners and nonprofit allies, we have now filed four cases to:
- Protect refugees from unlawful arrest and detention.
- Restore access to counsel for people held at the Whipple building.
- Keep court observers in immigration courtrooms.
- Challenge the fast-tracking of cases targeting Somali community members.
In February, we also helped launch the Minnesota Habeas Project, which directly challenges unlawful ICE detention. We are working with partners and volunteers to support nearly 80 Minnesotans, who have been detained and transferred across state lines, in filing habeas petitions seeking their release. While immigration enforcement operations may be declared "over," the reality is that the work continues.
As we have seen over the past months, everyone has a role to play in defending human rights. As migrant rights are systematically challenged, we are sustained by a community that shows up, pays attention, and stands in solidarity. Minnesota has shown the importance of community. Thank you for being part of ours.
