Group 133's Refugee Action Team is an opportunity for Amnesty International members to get involved in helping protect the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers, through advocacy, education and grassroots activism.

Although we are currently focusing on those who arrive in the United States, we also support AI actions on behalf of asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons in other countries.

Some of the issues we are addressing:

• detention of asylum seekers;
• detention of refugee children;
• women's ability to obtain asylum;
• expedited removal and return to countries where human rights violations are likely;
• mistreatment of detained immigrants;
• and access to medical treatment in detention.

Taking Action: Survey on Detention and Deportation in the Age of ICE

We are currently conducting an anonymous survey of Massachusetts immigration attorneys regarding detained immigrants’ grievances. This survey would expand on the findings detailed in Detention and Deportation in the Age of ICE, the 2008 ACLU of Massachusetts report, which indicated possible shortcomings of the grievance process. The purpose would be to generate ideas for advocacy by collecting relevant data. The deadline for completing the survey is Friday July 30. We hope to disseminate the results widely, so that Amnesty International members and others will be able to use them in their advocacy efforts.

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