WBO launches petition for the protection of immigrants
WBO Press Release
Feb 6 2025
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) and the United States Network for Democracy in Brazil (USNDB) launched a petition on Wednesday, January 29, addressed to the Brazilian and U.S. governments in which they ask that the authorities put an end to the human rights violations that have been committed against deported immigrants.
In less than a week, the document received more than 160 signatures and remains open for signatures via the link.
The document mentions the case of the 88 Brazilian citizens sent from the United States to Brazil on January 25. The deported Brazilians reported having been kept chained by their hands and feet for many hours inside a very hot aircraft in without access to a bathroom, deprived of adequate hydration and food. Some were physically assaulted by U.S. agents and left with marks on their bodies. Several reported having been the object of insults and verbal abuse. The flight was a mix of children and adults, all held equally in unsanitary, degrading, and humiliating conditions with their hands and feet chained.
The petition states that “no internal US immigration rule can override the minimum essential guarantees of every human being, regardless of their nationality and legal status.”
The document also says that “the Trump administration has also initiated a nefarious policy of persecution and rights violations, which includes the attempt to suppress rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, such as the right to American citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment for all children born in the United States.”
The signatories call on both governments to remain vigilant over the actions of their officials and ensure that all immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are treated with humanity and dignity, in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other applicable national and international documents.
