Monday, February 02, 2026 |
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In this edition of the Frontlines of Justice, we share a new lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the boat strikes in the Caribbean, updates on our case in NOLA, information on our upcoming case at the Supreme Court, an upcoming film screening, and some statements on recent political events. Read to the end to learn more! |
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| We're suing the Trump administration for the boat strike murders of two Trinidadian men |
Last week, family members of two Trinidadian men killed in a U.S. missile strike in October sued the U.S. government for wrongful death and extrajudicial killing. Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were killed in one of the 36 strikes the Trump administration has launched against civilian boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean. Since September 2025, at least 125 people had been killed in these strikes at the time of filing. The plaintiffs are Lenore Burnley, Mr. Joseph's mother, and Sallycar Korasingh, Mr. Samaroo's sister. They bring this case on behalf of surviving members of Mr. Joseph's and Mr. Samaroo's families. "It is absurd and dangerous for any state to just unilaterally proclaim that a 'war' exists in order to deploy lethal military force," said Legal Director Baher Azmy. "These are lawless killings in cold blood; killings for sport and killings for theater, which is why we need a court of law to proclaim what is true and constrain what is lawless. This is a critical step in ensuring accountability, while the individuals responsible may ultimately be answerable criminally for murder and war crimes." Read the full press release on our website. |
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We were in NOLA last week fighting for a moratorium on toxic plants in Cancer Alley |
Last week, we joined the Environmental Law Clinic at Tulane University and co-counsel Bill Quigley in representing Black residents of Louisiana's Cancer Alley in federal court. We argued that St. James Parish's decades-old land use practices are unconstitutionally discriminatory. A district court held the hearing on the Parish's motion to dismiss a landmark lawsuit seeking a moratorium on petrochemical plants in two majority-Black districts. "As we argued today, the Parish's second attempt to dismiss our clients' lawsuit must be rejected," said Staff Attorney Astha Sharma Pokharel last Wednesday. "This suit challenges the discriminatory land use system operated by the Parish, which so disregards the lives of the descendants of people once enslaved in the Parish, that it has steered dozens of toxic plants into their historically-Black communities. Our clients seek a remedy to the severe harms resulting from this system." Read the full press release and learn more about the case on our website. |
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We'll be at the Supreme Court this spring fighting to protect the rights of asylum seekers |
We recently launched a national campaign to protect the right to seek asylum as the Supreme Court prepares to hear our case on the issue this spring. The No Turning Back campaign seeks to mobilize support for people seeking safety and raise awareness of the importance of asylum in the United States as a lifeline for persecuted people across the world. "The government continued to turn back asylum seekers well after it was aware of the profound human suffering the policy engendered," said Senior Staff Attorney Angelo Guisado. "Now it asks the Supreme Court essentially to end asylum at the border altogether. It demonstrates limitless and gratuitous cruelty." Read the full press release and learn more about the campaign with our partners, Al Otro Lado, the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, and Democracy Forward on our website. |
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A statement in support of last week's national shutdown in protest of ICE |
In support of the national shutdown January 30, 2026, Executive Director Vince Warren made the following statement: |
The Center for Constitutional Rights endorses the national shutdown this Friday, January 30. To be clear, ICE is a machinery of state violence—tearing families apart, disappearing our neighbors, murdering people, and expanding its reach under an administration accelerating authoritarian rule. In this moment, silence is complicity. We call on people across the country to act together, visibly and decisively…. Withdraw your labor and your consent from a system that thrives on fear. Demand: Call your senators to vote NO to ICE funding. Every dollar appropriated is a choice to deepen harm and erode the rule of law. History will remember who stood up when the state targeted the most vulnerable. This is that hour. Disrupt. Refuse. Demand accountability—now. |
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Our joint statement with the The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) |
In light of the recent murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Federal agents, and the coordinated efforts by authorities to deny accountability, we released a statement with FIDH warning of a rapidly decaying democracy and rule of law in the United States, which may become permanent if allowed to take hold. The statement is as follows: |
Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered by federal agents because they were human rights defenders, bearing witness to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) widescale human rights abuses in Minneapolis. As legal observers and protestors, they were scrutinizing and calling attention to an authority that has attempted every measure to evade accountability for its crimes of unlawful kidnapping and deportation. In light of these and other extrajudicial killings, and as government officials now label civil society solidarity "domestic terrorism," FIDH and the Center for Constitutional Rights warn of a potentially irrevocable backsliding of human rights and the rule of law in the United States. The systemic suppression of investigations and evidence, coupled with outright lies and denial of facts, as well as the direct pressure placed on judges mark dramatic escalations of authoritarian tactics by government officials and place serious constraints on the possibility of justice for those whose rights are being violated. FIDH and the Center for Constitutional Rights commend those taking to the streets and those refusing to back down in this moment of crisis. As organizations from an international network, they are well-aware of the risks human rights defenders take under authoritarian regimes, but also are certain that history is on the side of the protesters refusing injustice. |
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Film Screening: Natchez at Film Forum |
We are proud to partner with Film Forum in New York City to promote screenings of the Tribeca Festival award-winning documentary Natchez, which opened on Friday, January 30. As we enter Black History month, we uplift the artistic and cultural interventions that challenge the erasure of Black history and the mythologies of whiteness, particularly in the U.S. South. We encourage you to spend some time exploring the work of our longtime partners in Louisiana, The Descendants Project who are working to "eliminate the narrative violence of plantation tourism and champion the voice of the Black descendant community while demanding action that supports the total well-being of Black descendants." Check out the Film Forum website for ticket information and use the promo code CCR for a discount! |
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"Cold-Blooded Murder": Families of Trinidadian Men Killed in U.S. Boat Strike Sue Trump Admin |
Featuring commentary from Legal Director Baher Azmy |
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Impunity & Empire: Understanding Trump's Murders in the Caribbean | Written by Associate Director of Political Education and Research Samer Araabi |
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Limiting industry in reach for Black residents of 'Cancer Alley' |
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Families of killed men file first U.S. federal lawsuit over drug boat strikes |
Featuring a quote from Legal Director Baher Azmy |
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| This is the Center for Constitutional Rights' weekly "Frontlines of Justice" news round-up, keeping you in the loop about what we've been up to and what's coming soon. Check it out every Monday, your one-stop-shop for updates, news coverage, reports from court appearances, upcoming events, and more! |
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Thank you for joining us in the fight for justice.
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