This episode of Human Rights Chat focuses on what’s happening in Minnesota in 2026 as heightened and militarized immigration enforcement creates fear, instability, and harm for refugee and asylum-seeking communities.

Host Melissa McNeilly is joined by two experts from the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) to unpack how immigration enforcement and detention impact mental health, healing, and human rights. Together, they explore what clinicians and advocates are seeing on the ground, how misinformation and policy choices deepen harm, and where trauma-informed care and community support continue to offer hope.

Guests

• Alison Beckman, Senior Clinician for External Relations, CVT

• Yumna Rizvi, Senior Policy Analyst, CVT

This episode is dedicated to the hundreds of CVT staff and clients affected by the abrupt halt to humanitarian aid, honoring both the clients who lost access to care and the more than 400 colleagues whose work and compassion continue to shape this movement.

Take Action

• Donate to the Center for Victims of Torture: www.cvt.org Help provide food and other urgent needs for survivors of torture and trauma.

• Support more Minnesota-based organizations: www.standwithminnesota.com

  www.canmn.org