GENEVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A group of UN experts on Wednesday urged the U.S. government to respect the rights of human rights defenders amid concern over action being taken against a Mexican woman who campaigns to protect migrants' rights.
Maru Mora Villalpando, who has been in the U.S. since 1996, is facing deportation proceedings after fronting a high-profile campaign against alleged human rights violations at a U.S. immigrants' detention centre, operated by a private company on behalf of the U.S. government.
"Ms. Villalpando's notice to appear at deportation proceedings, received without warning, seems to be related to her advocacy work on behalf of migrant detainees," the experts said.
"We urge the U.S. government to protect and ensure Ms. Villalpando's rights as a defender and her right to family life," they added.
The experts urged the U.S. authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee that no action, including detention and deportation, as means of retaliation, is taken against Ms. Villalpando for reporting cases of the detention of immigrants and alleged violations of their human rights, especially in view of the reported conditions in these centers of detention.
The experts also said they were concerned that Ms. Villalpando's case appeared to be part of a pattern.
"Giving people notice of deportation proceedings appears to be a part of an increasing pattern of intimidation and retaliation against people defending migrants' rights in the U.S.," the experts said.
The UN experts who have been in contact with the U.S. government regarding their concerns include Ms. Elina Steinerte, Vice-Chair on Communications of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Mr. Felipe Gonzalez Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and Mr. Dante Pesce, Vice-Chair of UN Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
