CBP detains Chris Smalls and two activists during border crossing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained American labor organizer Chris Smalls and two Mexican human rights defenders from the organization Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA) for over 12 hours. The individuals were participating in the Summit for Peace in Ciudad Juárez and were reportedly detained while attempting to cross legally into El Paso on the night of September 18.

Organizing groups, including the People’s Movement for Peace and Justice and Global Exchange, have denounced the incident as an act of intimidation and a violation of freedom of movement. The organizations noted that the detainees were held without communication during their custody. While the participants have since been released, advocates are calling on both U.S. and Mexican authorities to provide transparency regarding the circumstances of the detention and to prevent the criminalization of human rights defenders.