IRTF Blog

Every day there are thousands of people apprehended at the US southern border. Most of them are caught by either  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and sent back or put in detention. It is hard to say which of these options is more dehumanizing: staying in an overcrowded, badly maintained detention center in the midst of a global health crisis for an infinite period of time, or being sent to Mexico–a country you may never have stepped foot in before–to await your immigration court proceedings for an unspecified period of time. And the Biden Administration? They have failed to keep their promises of President Biden’s first 100 days in office and have mostly been implementing measures so far that make conditions for migrants and asylum seekers even worse. 

The report analyzes the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of medical care to ensure the right to health. Trans and gender-diverse individuals often face discrimation and inadequate access and quality of care. The right to health is ensured by the state to have standards of care and inclusivity; however, many trans and gender-diverse people are excluded from the healthcare system.

The right to education has often overlooked trans and gender-diverse children because of social and cultural biases. The LGBTQI community has higher than average dropout rates due to social exclusion and institutionalized discrimination. The report focuses on three needs for the right to education: availability, acceptability, and adaptability to be comprehensive and inclusive. Curriculum standards have excluded LGBTQI history and culture, and have had long-term effects, particularly with substandard sexual education materials and reproductive health information.