Analysis & Commentary

The Alarming Rise of Migrant Deaths on U.S. Soil—And What to Do About It

24 Apr 2013
Immigration reform legislation currently before the U.S. Senate (S. 744) includes billions of dollars in new funding for border security. It makes no mention, however, of steps to prevent needless deaths of migrants on U.S. soil, or to help cash-strapped counties identify the dead.

Senate Bill Sets an Unmeetable Standard on Border Security

"Border Security Goal" provision reveals how little we know about what it takes to secure the border
22 Apr 2013
Eight senators presented ambitious immigration reform legislation last week (S. 744). So ambitious, in fact, that it sets a border security standard that may be too high to meet in reality.

U.S. Congress Supports Peace in Colombia

18 Apr 2013
In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, 62 members of Congress call for U.S. policy to support peace with justice as the country continues negotiations to end its internal conflict.

Time for Statesmanship

16 Apr 2013
As rhetoric in Venezuela turns heated, WOLA Senior Fellow David Smilde calls for statesmanship.

Q & A on Venezuela's Electoral Stalemate

15 Apr 2013
WOLA Senior Fellow David Smilde, moderator of the Venezuela Politics and Human Rights blog and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Georgia, provides expert answers to most pressing questions following Sunday's presidential election in Venezuela.

Marijuana Policy and Presidential Leadership

How to Avoid a Federal-State Train Wreck
11 Apr 2013
This latest publication in the WOLA-Brookings series on marijuana policy examines how state and federal officials can respect existing laws while also enforcing them wisely to avoid federal-state clashes surrounding the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana.

Remarks of Rep. Jim McGovern at "Twenty Years after the Salvadoran Truth Commission"

11 Apr 2013
At a forum organized by WOLA, CEJIL, DPLF, the University of Washington Center for Human Rights, and the Latin American Studies Program at George Mason University, Rep. Jim McGovern reflects on the importance of transitional justice in El Salvador and beyond.

Death Threat Underscores Need for Concrete Action

10 Apr 2013
A recent death threat against labor leaders and human rights defenders underscores the need for U.S. and Colombian authorities to take action to assure this recent threat does not come to fruition.

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See Also

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The Human Cost

The Human Cost of the Drug War