Joanne Lin

While the US has bought sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to immunize the entire U.S. population several times over, more than 100 nations have received no vaccines to date. Instead of hoarding vaccines, the US must lead the international community in providing access to vaccines for lower-income nations. The US should support a proposal at the World Trade Organization to temporarily waive intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies, in order to provide a pathway for access to… Show more

While the US has bought sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to immunize the entire U.S. population several times over, more than 100 nations have received no vaccines to date. Instead of hoarding vaccines, the US must lead the international community in providing access to vaccines for lower-income nations. The US should support a proposal at the World Trade Organization to temporarily waive intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies, in order to provide a pathway for access to vaccines for lower-income nations. Show less

The Defense Secretary's hosting of Indonesia’s defense minister Prabowo Subianto at the Pentagon was a clear about-face in U.S. policy. Subianto had been banned for the last 20 years from entering the United States due to his implications in crimes against humanity in Indonesia and East Timor. This ban had remained in place through the entirety of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, and was considered long-settled U.S. foreign policy — until he was issued a visa and met with… Show more

The Defense Secretary's hosting of Indonesia’s defense minister Prabowo Subianto at the Pentagon was a clear about-face in U.S. policy. Subianto had been banned for the last 20 years from entering the United States due to his implications in crimes against humanity in Indonesia and East Timor. This ban had remained in place through the entirety of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, and was considered long-settled U.S. foreign policy — until he was issued a visa and met with the secretary on Oct. 16. Why did the DoD choose to make this break and what signal does it send to the rest of the world that the United States is conferring with such individuals, in the heart of the American defense establishment? Show less

The 2019-2020 congressional session has been marked by important progress in addressing the human rights of Uyghurs in China, but also by devastating setbacks for Yemeni civilians subjected to war crimes and for asylum seekers denied access to protection at the U.S. border. Meanwhile, there was limited movement in Congress on addressing the human rights of Venezuelans and the Rohingya, and little action to address international human rights amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2020 Amnesty International India was forced to halt its human rights work after all its bank accounts were frozen under orders by the Indian government. This is a devastating setback for Indian human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and most alarmingly, the millions of people in India who have been aided by Amnesty’s human rights work.

This piece was published on the occasion of Amnesty International's lobby day (2018) when hundreds of human rights activists from dozens of states came to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to pass legislation to halt atrocities against Rohingya and to increase humanitarian aid for displaced peoples around the world.

This 2016 report spotlights the dangerously close ties between DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") and the private prison industry, describes the human toll of over-detention and privatization, and provides a concrete plan for how ICE can and should phase out its reliance on private prisons. I presented this report to the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council ("HSAC"). In Dec. 2016 HSAC published a report recommending that DHS phase out the use of private prisons in immigration… Show more

This 2016 report spotlights the dangerously close ties between DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") and the private prison industry, describes the human toll of over-detention and privatization, and provides a concrete plan for how ICE can and should phase out its reliance on private prisons. I presented this report to the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council ("HSAC"). In Dec. 2016 HSAC published a report recommending that DHS phase out the use of private prisons in immigration detention: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS%20HSAC%20PIDF%20Final%20Report.pdf.
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