Inter-American Human Rights Commission Holds First U.S. Hearing on Police Force and Free Speech

During a public session in Washington, DC, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights heard grievances alleging disproportionate force and curbs on speech at demonstrations opposing U.S. immigration enforcement. Attorney Antonio Romanucci, representing the family of Renee Good—killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis—condemned the incident as an unjustified use of deadly force and noted the absence of any federal inquiry.

Testimony from Rev. David Black recounted multiple pepper-ball assaults on him while praying at an ICE detention center, and professor Susan Akram criticized the administration’s policies as illegal and reminiscent of McCarthyism. The commission, operating under the Organization of American States, marked the hearing as its first focused on U.S. violations of peaceful assembly and expression. U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission to the OAS, Julianna Aynes-Neville, declined substantive answers, urging the commission to prioritize other countries with weaker protections. Commissioners called for transparent investigations and suggested a site visit to assess the U.S. human-rights situation.