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A transgender woman fighting to shut down <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement </a>detention centers is this year's recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award — an honor bestowed by the advocacy group meant to carry on RFK's legacy and founded by his daughter, Kerry Kennedy. Arely Westley, an LGBTQ+ and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/immigration-activists-liberal-senate-dems-trash-border-deal-lack-amnesty-illegals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immigration activist </a>who identifies as a "trans-Latinx woman," will be the 41st recipient of the award, which was announced over the weekend. The organization said Westley will be recognized during an official ceremony in June.The Human Rights award "honors an individual or group of individuals who stand up to oppression at grave personal risk in the nonviolent pursuit of human rights," according to its website.Westley is the first transgender woman to receive the award, the organization confirmed to Fox News Digital.<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr-expected-announce-wealthy-female-entrepreneur-vice-presidential-running-mate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE WEALTHY FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR AS VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE</a>"From her anti-detention work to her support of LGBTQ+ youth, Arely is a true force for social justice," Kerry Kennedy said over the weekend. "The difference between a victim and a hero is activism with a loving heart. Arely has used her personal experiences to fuel her advocacy and build a better, more just world. We are honored to recognize her efforts and continue working alongside her."Westley, a Honduras native, was detained in 2022 at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. Once released, RFK Human Rights claims Westley began leading "multiple shutdown campaigns," calling for the closure of ICE <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/immigration/illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detention facilities</a> that have a "history of documented abuse." According to RFK Human Rights, Westley suffered "egregious human rights violations" and was held in solitary confinement for extra protection. Westley currently serves as a campaign director at BreakOUT!, an organization that seeks to "end the criminalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth who are directly impacted by the criminal or juvenile justice system in New Orleans."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-county-declares-trans-visibility-day-easter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VIRGINIA COUNTY DECLARES TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY ON EASTER THIS YEAR</a>"I feel honored to accept this award on behalf of my trans community, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, who were indigenous to these lands now known as the Americas, where today my trans Latina sisters and I are vilified, caged, and abused," Westley said in a statement. "But these systems of dehumanizing greed have grossly underestimated us. We are the flowering buds whose deep roots break through the concrete that those in power deign to walk all over, but our beauty, love and brilliance cannot be and we will not be denied."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-to-become-the-first-state-to-build-separate-inmate-units-for-transgender-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COLORADO COULD BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO BUILD SEPARATE PRISON UNITS FOR TRANSGENDER FELONS</a>According to its website, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/j-k-rowling-human-rights-award-kennedy-transphobic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RFK Human Rights</a><a rel="noopener"> </a>advocates "for human rights issues and pursues strategic litigation to hold governments accountable at home and around the world.""We foster a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/executive/social-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social good</a> approach to business, celebrate agents of change, and to ensure change that lasts, we educate millions of students about human rights, training the next generation of leaders," the website reads.Previous laureates include Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis, who advocated for peace in Liberia (1999), Kenyan war prisoner Gibson Kamau Kuria (1988), Chinese activist against the communist party and physicist, Fang Lizhi (1989), Brazilian activist for the poor and former seminarian Darci Frigo (2001), among others.

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--- !ruby/object:Feedjira::Parser::RSSEntry
published: 2024-04-01 19:39:07.000000000 Z
carlessian_info:
 news_filer_version: 2
 newspaper: US - Fox News
 macro_region: USA
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 guid: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/transgender-activist-who-fought-abolish-ice-honored-2024-rfk-human-rights-award
title: Transgender activist who fought to abolish ICE honored with 2024 RFK Human
 Rights award
categories:
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- Fox News
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content: A transgender woman fighting to shut down <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/immigration"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement </a>detention
 centers is this year's recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award — an
 honor bestowed by the advocacy group meant to carry on RFK's legacy and founded
 by his daughter, Kerry Kennedy. Arely Westley, an LGBTQ+ and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/immigration-activists-liberal-senate-dems-trash-border-deal-lack-amnesty-illegals"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">immigration activist </a>who identifies as a "trans-Latinx
 woman," will be the 41st recipient of the award, which was announced over the weekend.
 The organization said Westley will be recognized during an official ceremony in
 June.The Human Rights award "honors an individual or group of individuals
 who stand up to oppression at grave personal risk in the nonviolent pursuit of human
 rights," according to its website.Westley is the first transgender woman
 to receive the award, the organization confirmed to Fox News Digital.<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr-expected-announce-wealthy-female-entrepreneur-vice-presidential-running-mate"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE
 WEALTHY FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR AS VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE</a>"From
 her anti-detention work to her support of LGBTQ+ youth, Arely is a true force for
 social justice," Kerry Kennedy said over the weekend. "The difference between a
 victim and a hero is activism with a loving heart. Arely has used her personal experiences
 to fuel her advocacy and build a better, more just world. We are honored to recognize
 her efforts and continue working alongside her."Westley, a Honduras native,
 was detained in 2022 at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. Once released,
 RFK Human Rights claims Westley began leading "multiple shutdown campaigns," calling
 for the closure of ICE <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/immigration/illegal-immigrants"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">detention facilities</a> that have a "history of
 documented abuse." According to RFK Human Rights, Westley suffered "egregious human
 rights violations" and was held in solitary confinement for extra protection. Westley
 currently serves as a campaign director at BreakOUT!, an organization that seeks
 to "end the criminalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning
 youth who are directly impacted by the criminal or juvenile justice system in New
 Orleans."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-county-declares-trans-visibility-day-easter"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">VIRGINIA COUNTY DECLARES TRANSGENDER DAY
 OF VISIBILITY ON EASTER THIS YEAR</a>"I feel honored to accept
 this award on behalf of my trans community, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors,
 who were indigenous to these lands now known as the Americas, where today my trans
 Latina sisters and I are vilified, caged, and abused," Westley said in a statement.
 "But these systems of dehumanizing greed have grossly underestimated us. We are
 the flowering buds whose deep roots break through the concrete that those in power
 deign to walk all over, but our beauty, love and brilliance cannot be and we will
 not be denied."<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-to-become-the-first-state-to-build-separate-inmate-units-for-transgender-women"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">COLORADO COULD BECOME THE FIRST STATE
 TO BUILD SEPARATE PRISON UNITS FOR TRANSGENDER FELONS</a>According
 to its website, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/j-k-rowling-human-rights-award-kennedy-transphobic"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">RFK Human Rights</a><a rel="noopener"> </a>advocates
 "for human rights issues and pursues strategic litigation to hold governments accountable
 at home and around the world.""We foster a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/executive/social-policy"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener">social good</a> approach to business, celebrate agents
 of change, and to ensure change that lasts, we educate millions of students about
 human rights, training the next generation of leaders," the website reads.Previous
 laureates include Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis, who advocated for peace in
 Liberia (1999), Kenyan war prisoner Gibson Kamau Kuria (1988), Chinese activist
 against the communist party and physicist, Fang Lizhi (1989), Brazilian activist
 for the poor and former seminarian Darci Frigo (2001), among others.
summary: RFK Human Rights Organization awards &quot;trans-Latinx woman&quot; with
 the 2024 Human Rights Award for LGBTQ+ and immigration activism.
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url: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/transgender-activist-who-fought-abolish-ice-honored-2024-rfk-human-rights-award
image: https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/07/931/523/kerry-kennedy-robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-1358152809.jpg?ve=1&tl=1

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