According to the United Nation's (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the practice of separating children at the border constitutes “arbitrary and unlawful interference in family life, and is a serious violation of the rights of the child,"... Companies with existing or potential contracts with the U.S. Federal Government associated with the enforcement of immigration policies are exposed to the risk of contributing to, or being directly linked to, violations of human rights, including children’s rights, due process, equal protection, freedom from
persecution and torture, and the rights of asylum seekers. This exposes companies to significant legal and reputational risks, including brand risk and workplace unrest by employees who are strongly opposed to these practices. 

This document, developed by the Investor Alliance for Human Rights, provides an overview of the human rights risks associated with family separation and indefinite immigration detention, and includes guidance to help companies identify, assess and address those risks, both in the U.S. and globally.

Objective 

By providing guiding questions that are in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and developed in collaboration with UNICEF, this document helps:

• Companies identify, assess and address real and potential human rights impacts they may be contributing to, or directly linked to, through U.S. Federal Government contracts; and
• Investors engage their portfolio companies to address the human rights impacts associated with immigration detention and family detention.