HRP Partners with the Midwest Democracy & Power Summit
On June 10th-11th, the Human Rights Program was honored to facilitate the human rights track of The Brave of Us: Midwest Democracy & Power Summit, hosted by the Immigrant Defense Network (IDN). This network of over 90 immigrant, labor, legal, faith, and community organizations was established in 2025 in order to protect the constitutional rights of immigrant communities across Minnesota. The purpose of the Summit was to strengthen community relationships, advance immigration reform, and shape the future of human rights work in the Midwest. Over the two-day conference, attendees heard from speakers on immigrant rights, human rights, and defending democracy, and were invited to build strategies for future action.
Human Rights Initiative Manager Amelia Shindelar and HRP Director Carrie Booth Walling led sessions focusing on human rights and the United States’ immigration system, and the importance of documentation and preserving stories to ensure accountability.
Shindelar moderated a panel of advocates and community organizers to define the role of human rights in building collective power in the struggle for immigrant rights. Llana Barber, Director of the Immigration History Research Center, provided an overview of immigration exclusion throughout American history, including the category of illegality and the government’s historic refusal to provide refugee status. The other panelists included: Minnesota Justice Resource Center Executive Director, Justin Terrell; Refugees International Vice President for Programs and Policy, Hardin Lang; Unidos US Immigrant Integration Program Manager, Gary Sang; and Battered Women’s Justice Project Senior Community and Advocacy Liaison, Rosario de la Torre. These advocates discussed the transformation of criminal justice systems, the history of state-sanctioned violence in Minnesota, theories of social change, and the role of international human rights law.
Dr. Walling invited Liduvina Escobar and Elena Sut to speak on collective memory and documentation as a form of resistance, especially for victims of state violence. Liduvina Escobar was the transparency commissioner of the Institute for Access to Public Information in El Salvador, where she was targeted by President Bukele for her support of opening military archives on crimes committed by the Army during armed conflict. Escobar explained how “the right to know” unlocks justice, participation, democracy, and oversight. “Silence is never neutral,” she said, “and we all have a responsibility not to normalize or ignore injustice.”
Elena Gregoria Sut Ren is a Guatemalan attorney and human rights defender with a background in transitional justice, Indigenous peoples’ rights, children’s rights, and environmental justice. Sut reflected on her commitment to protecting indigenous people from persecution and displacement for engaging with their cultural heritage.
The workshop included a strategy session for participants to consider how to mobilize for immigrant rights in education, policy and legal reforms, data documentation, and story collection. Participants used the human rights framework to imagine transformative possibilities..
The Brave of Us Summit was a testament to Minnesota’s robust network of human rights defenders. Dozens of organizations around the Midwest and the world were present to share their successes and struggles, uplift marginalized voices, and pursue collective justice and healing. The Human Rights Program was proud to contribute to this vibrant conference and share tools to continue advocating for the dignity of immigrants and communities.
