Engaging with the United Nations to Report Disappearances of Immigrants: A Brief Guide for Advocates
- Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
- Jun 30
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 21
As human rights violations against immigrants escalate—including renditions to third countries, prolonged incommunicado detention, and enforced disappearances that sever individuals from their families and legal support—it's critical to use every available tool to protect immigrant clients. While the United Nations (UN) may seem far removed from day-to-day immigration practice in the U.S., it offers concrete mechanisms that attorneys and advocates can use to respond to these urgent situations.
This brief guide —Engaging with the United Nations to Report Disappearances of Immigrants —introduces U.S.-based legal practitioners and advocates to one such mechanism: the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID). It explains how to report individual cases of disappearances and submit information about broader patterns of abuse to support UN issued general allegations. Whether your client has been renditioned, held without access to family or counsel, or simply cannot be located, this guide provides clear, step-by-step information to help you engage the UN system more effectively.