CERD report issued: The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued its Concluding Observations on U.S. compliance with the CERD treaty, reflecting many of the concerns raised by the delegation of U.S. civil and human rights groups that came to Geneva to testify.  We were especially pleased to see the strong recommendations (pp. 6-7) on U.S. housing and education policy (issues where PRRAC had submitted coalition comments).  Stay tuned for Megan Haberle's report on the CERD review in the next Poverty & Race, and thanks to the U.S. Human Rights Network for coordinating a successful advocacy effort.  

RAD update:  The American Prospect has just published a useful overview of the Rental Assistance Demonstration, and some of the controversy around the efforts to expand the program beyond the demonstration phase.  PRRAC is currently working with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to ensure that the first group of families participating in the program receive the housing mobility rights that they were promised when the program was adopted by HUD.  

PRRAC Anniversary:  Join us for our 25th anniversary dinner celebration on October 16th at Busboys and Poets - tickets here!

Other News and Resources

Fighting for school funding equity in Texas:  Congratulations to our board member David Hinojosa and his clients and colleagues at MALDEF for their latest victory in the Texas School Funding litigation.

Pushing back against government-sponsored segregation in Dallas: The Inclusive Communities Project (directed by PRRAC Board member Betsy Julian) has filed an important federal complaint against the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, challenging the federal agencies' role in the racial segregation of Low Income Housing Tax Credit developments in the Dallas area. 

Using international law to protect children at the border:The National Immigrant Justice Center and other groups have petitioned the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights to direct the U.S. government not to deport Central American or Mexican children who flee to the United States until it provides adequate protection to their due process rights to request asylum, protection against torture claims, or other humanitarian measures they may be entitled to under US law.  Read more here.