Hate Free Zone (HFZ) was formed immediately after September 11, 2001 to address the backlash against immigrant communities of color. HFZ’s mission is to advance the fundamental principles of democracy and justice at the local, state and national levels by building power within immigrant communities, in collaboration with key allies. HFZ has been widely recognized for its successful strategies that combat targeting, discrimination, and erosion of civil liberties in immigrant communities, and for engaging immigrant and allied communities in the democratic process. Human rights frameworks—including international human rights laws, treaties, and documentation techniques—are essential to our work, allowing HFZ to reach out to those affected by exclusionary policies, introduce effective tools, and engage the broader public in a debate focusing on the fundamental human dignity of every person.

HFZ’s new project, the Pacific Northwest Action for Immigrant Rights, is addressing due process and conditions of immigration detention within a human rights framework. In partnership with Seattle University School of Law’s Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic, law students in the International Human Rights clinical class are learning how to apply international human rights law to conditions of detention and how to utilize human rights documentation techniques. In addition, students will prepare human rights training materials for immigrant communities, helping them to advocate for positive change. HFZ is also organizing local community groups, comprised of family members affected directly by immigration detention, to publicize their stories and advocate for change in human rights terms. In spring 2008, we will publish a human rights report on conditions of detention.