Arvind Dilawar
Arvind Dilawar is a contributing writer at Pacific Standard.
The Department of Justice Won't Release Data on Prison Deportations
Each year, the federal government deports thousands of prisoners who enter the Institutional Hearing Program, but it won't reveal critical information about its operations.
Undocumented Workers Are Especially Vulnerable to Border Patrol in Vermont
Recent arrests exemplify the danger that workers face in the supposedly progressive state.
Anti-ICE Activists Target PNC Bank for Funding Private Detention Centers
Unlike Bank of the West, Bank of America, and SunTrust, which all announced plans to divest from for-profit prisons, PNC has not responded to activists' calls.
Advocates for Self-Managed Abortions Are Preparing for a Post-Roe World
Activists are trying to help women navigate the complicated legal landscape around misoprostol and mifepristone, "essential medicines" according to the World Health Organization.
For Many Migrants, the Last Leg of the Journey North Is Through a Minefield
The Air Force and Marines conduct live-fire drills on the Barry M. Goldwater Range—which also separates many migrants from freedom or death.
A Chicago Jail Might Be the Largest Mental Health Care Provider in the U.S.
After Illinois cut funding for mental-health services, Cook County Jail now handles a large portion of the state's patients. A new book tells their story.
Instagram Images Exposed Ongoing Problems at One Georgia Jail
Inmates held in the DeKalb County Jail have been railing against conditions there. A social media post has brought attention to their pleas.
What Should Replace Cash Bail?
A California bill replaces cash bail with risk-assessment algorithms, which critics argue will perpetuate the pre-trial detention of minority and low-income defendants.
The Government Has Not Revealed How Deportation Decisions Are Made
The Board of Immigration Appeals failed to respond to FOIAs about their process for issuing stays of removal. A new lawsuit seeks the information that was withheld.
Hilton's New Human Trafficking Policy May Hurt Victims More Than Help
By sharing ICE's tip line with guests, the international hotel chain exposes trafficking victims and others to greater possible harm.
Amazon Is the Best Argument Against Capitalism
As Richard D. Wolff explains, the company's valuation and Jeff Bezos' personal wealth are signs not of unrivaled innovation, but of economic extortion.
How Rush City Inmates Organized a Successful Prison Strike
Two inmates from a Minnesota state prison discuss organizing a strike—and why they feel rehabilitative programming is still inadequate.
A Traveling Museum Builds Support for Native Resistance to Resource Extraction
The Natural History Museum is popping up across the country to draw attention to the struggle of the Lummi Nation in the Pacific Northwest.
A New Database Seeks to Catalog—and Hold Accountable—Police Officers Across the U.S.
Pacific Standard spoke with Camille Fassett, a researcher with Lucy Parsons Labs, about the OpenOversight program—a public database indexing law enforcement officers by name, photo, incidents, and more.
'Hate Is Just Exhausting': Growing Up With—and Running Away From—the Ku Klux Klan
The daughter of a KKK Grand Dragon discusses life with the Klan, how she escaped, and the state of hate today.
In Brooklyn, a Roving Gym Is Building Muscle and Community
Pop Gym, a Brooklyn-based martial arts collective, is bringing self-defense to unexpected venues—and the vulnerable.
Following a Nationwide Strike, Prisoners Say They Face Repressive Repercussions
A member of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee discusses the retaliation prisoners face when fighting for their rights.
Taxpayers May Soon Be on the Hook for a $2 Billion Fracked Gas Refinery
Northwest Innovation Works promises to bring jobs to rural Washington—but at what cost?
How the Fight for Sex Workers' Rights Can Put Sex Workers First
In their book, Juno Mac and Molly Smith examine sex workers' struggles in the modern world.
One Couple's Story of Love and Green Cards
Challenged by the White House's anti-immigration policy, many—like Zahara and Mohammed—are choosing to wed.
Here's Why UberEats Couriers Went on Strike in the U.K. This Month
An organizer with a couriers union discusses the ongoing campaign to improve the gig economy.
'Cruel and Unusual Punishment': The Questionable State of Medical Care at Louisiana State Penitentiary
Several groups representing inmates at Angola claim the prison's poor living conditions violate the Eighth Amendment.
Meet the Guy Who Formed a PAC Devoted Solely to Taking Down Ted Cruz
Trace Crutchfield's Super PAC, IXNAY, promises to raise hell to get Trump and his allies—starting with Ted Cruz—out of office.
A Progressive Fundraising Behemoth Faces Fresh Accusations of Unjust Labor Practices
Grassroots Campaigns canvasses for such non-profits as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union. But former employees say the organization has taken a hardline—and repressive—view of labor reform within its own ranks.
'It's a Fight for Human Rights': An Interview With a Prison Strike Organizer
A former inmate discusses the organization and demands behind the recent nationwide prison strike.
Can New Zealand Provide the U.S. With a Model for Juvenile Justice Reform?
Lawyer Melissa Goemann says implementing restorative justice practices allowed New Zealand to end the wholesale incarceration of children—and the U.S. should follow suit.
From Conservative Patriot to Communist Vanguard: An Interview With H. Bruce Franklin
Franklin's new memoir, Crash Course, blends the story of his political awakening with the history of the Vietnam War.
How Anti-Immigration Policy Spurs Domestic Violence
The consequences of immigration law can keep spouses trapped in abusive relationships.
How Far-Right Campaigns Are Pressuring Universities to Censor Speech
Since he was accused of "attacking conservative students," Tariq Khan has faced harassment and death threats.
At the New School, Labor Struggles Unite Students and Workers
Solidarity creates a formidable challenge for the New York City university's administration.
How to Organize a Prison Strike
Organizers inside and outside of the penitentiary walls are teaming up—and getting creative—to fight for reform.
The Connection Between White Men, Aggrievement, and Mass Shootings
Downward social mobility and scapegoating are inspiring white men to commit atrocities.
How Muslim Americans Are Defending Themselves and Their Communities Against Bigotry
Islamophobia is becoming more widespread and systemic throughout the U.S., but Muslim Americans aren't idly awaiting their ruin.
Inauguration Day Trials Continue to Threaten Activists Across the Country
The ongoing cases against the J20 defendants represent a dangerous precedent for future social justice movements: guilt by association.
Fighting to Win: the Haida's Advice to Water Protectors in the U.S.
Lessons from the Haida, who fought the government of Canada for sovereignty—and actually won.
Legal Financial Obligations Are the New Debtors’ Prison
Legal financial obligations can saddle a prisoner with exponentially increasing debt long after they’ve been released from prison. It can even land them back in jail. Can the cycle be broken?