Tag Archives: Human Rights

Scholars’ Circle – US Policy of Policing Immigrants; Author Interview of Borders, Politics and Belonging – April 12, 2026

April 13, 2026 host

Kristi Noem, the controversial Secretary of Homeland Security, was fired from her position in March of 2026. Her short tenure as secretary was marked by numerous accusations of overreach of power, violations of due process particularly with regard to immigrants without proper documentation, and killing of protesters, notably in Minnesota, at the hands of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. On today’s show we will review Secretary Noem’s tenure at the Department and the future of ICE and the immigration raids she instituted. [ dur: 35mins. ]

Naomi Paik is Associate Professor of Global Asian Studies and Criminology, Law and Justice at University of Illinois, Chicago. She is the author of Bans, Walls, Raids, Sanctuary: Understanding U.S. Immigration for the 21st Century and Rightlessness: Testimony and Redress in U.S. Prison Camps since World War II, winner, Best Book in History.
Luke William Hunt is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama. He is the author of The Police Identity Crisis — Hero, Warrior, Guardian, Algorithm and Police Deception and Dishonesty – The Logic of Lying .

How does immigration and the border define identity and belonging? We revisit a book on borders and their impact on immigration, identity, and belonging. [ dur: 23mins. ]

Hiroshi Motomura is the Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States and his latest book Borders and Belonging: Toward a Fair Immigration Policy.

Politics and Activism, Human Rights, police, Refugees

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Threat to Cuba and Cubans in US examined – April 5, 2026

April 6, 2026 host

After attacking two countries in 2026, will the Trump administration attack Cuba? What is Cuba’s relationship with the US historically and today? In this segment, we explore the island nation’s history, its government and economy, and why the US is targeting Cuba. In addition, we look into the controversy of compensation for property loss for Cuban Americans, as well as the broader issues of appropriation and compensation in Cuba. Lastly, we discuss the country’s political and economic challenges and the potential need for reform, and, if reform is necessary, which should come first: political or economic reform. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Richard Feinberg is Professor Emeritus of International Political Economy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy.
William LeoGrande is Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Government at American University, Washington. He is coauthor of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.
Guillermo J. Grenier is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. He is the co-author of This Land is Our Land: Newcomers and Established Residents in Miami.
Sebastián Arcos is Interim director of the Cuban Research Institute in the Florida International University. He was part of the Freedom House delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland and advised the U.S. Department of State on issues concerning human rights in Cuba between 1998 and 2000.

Politics and Activism, Human Rights, Cuba

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Türkiye’s interest in the war with Iran and book author interview – “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” – March 29, 2026

March 30, 2026 host

The Israeli and American war on Iran has vast regional implications with the potential to draw other countries into the conflict. Today we explore Türkiye’s interests in the war with a particular focus on the ramifications of arming the Kurds to fight against Iran. [ dur: 28mins. ]

Serhun Al is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Izmir University of Economics in Türkiye. He is the author of Human security versus national security: Kurds, Turkey and Syrian Rojava and Is Turkey Ready for the Post-Erdoğan Era? Roadblocks to a Democratic Transition.
Mohammad Homayounvash is Founding Director of the Jaffer Institute for Interfaith Dialogue & Education at Miami-Dade College. He is the author of Iran and the Nuclear Question.

bookcover of I Will Not Abandon You- Queer women in Nazi Germany by Samuel Clowes Huneke shows abstract art of two women facing each other.

There were many victims of Nazi atrocities and genocide but one group has only recently been given recognition for the oppression they endured: the LGBTQ+ community. Today we explore the specific treatment and oppression of the lesbian community under Nazi Germany and how their experiences influence the larger conversation about women under Nazism. We interview the author on his new book titled, “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” (Toronto University Press, April 2026). [ dur: 30mins. ]

Samuel Clowes Huneke is Assistant Professor of History at George Mason University. He is also the author of States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany.

Politics and Activism, Human Rights, War / Weapons, Gender, Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Refugee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security; Insights on street protests in Iran – February 8, 2026

February 8, 2026 host

Under what circumstances might climate change lead to negative security outcomes? Over the past fifteen years, a rapidly growing applied field and research community on climate security has emerged. While much progress has been made, we still don’t have a clear understanding of why climate change might lead to violent conflict or humanitarian emergencies in some places and not others.

book cover showing dry landscape with one person walking through it. Book title is State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security.

Busby develops a novel argument – based on the combination of state capacity, political exclusion, and international assistance – to explain why climate leads to especially bad security outcomes in some places but not others. This argument is then demonstrated through application to case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. This book will provide an informative resource for students and scholars of international relations and environmental studies, especially those working on security, conflict and climate change, on the emergent practice and study of this topic, and identifies where policy and research should be headed. [ dur: 38mins. ]

Joshua Busby is a Professor of Public Affairs and a Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He is the author of State and Nature the effects of climate change on security ( The 2026 winner of the Grawemeyer Prize for Ideas Advancing World Order ) and many other publications.

With protests rocking Iran, how much are these protests historically consistent with the long history of protests in Iran. We explore this history in light of the new round of protests How much more violent has the Iran state been against protesters? [ dur: 20mins. ]

Ervand Abrahamian is Professor Emeritus at City University of New York. He is the author of A History of Modern Iran and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran and Syria.

Climate Change, Human Rights, War / Weapons, Refugees, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Security

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Reasons for political violence and how it becomes inevitable – September 21, 2025

September 22, 2025 host

Political violence is on the rise, we get insight into why it happens and ways to mitigate it’s occurrence. With scholars of politics, social inquiry and criminal justice. [ dur: 58mins. ]

Roger Petersen is the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science at MIT. He is the author of Understanding Ethnic Violence: Fear, Hatred, Resentment in Twentieth Century Eastern Europe, Death, Domination, and State-Building: The US in Iraq and the Future of American Military Intervention, and Emotions and backlash in US society and politics.
David L. Altheide is a Regents Professor Emeritus on the faculty of Justice and Social Inquiry in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. He is the author of Terrorism and the Politics of Fear, The Media Syndrome and Gonzo Governance: The Media Logic of Donald Trump.
Brian Levin is Director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism and Professor of Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino. He is co-author of the book The Limits of Dissent and co-author of the publications Report to the nation: hate crimes rise in US cities and counties in time of division and foreign interference, Posing the Why Question: Understanding the perpetration of racially motivated violence and harassment, and Fact Sheet: Anti-Asian Prejudice 2020 (March 2, 2021).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Supreme Court allows deportation based on profiling ; The future of indigenous exhibits – September 14, 2025

September 15, 2025 host

How does the US Supreme Court decision to allow ICE to target immigrants based on language, accent, race, and employment affect the sweeps of undocumented immigrants in the US. And what are the social and economic impacts of Trump’s deportation policy? [ dur: 29mins. ]

Hiroshi Motomura is the Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States and his latest book Borders and Belonging: Toward a Fair Immigration Policy.
Tony Payan, Ph.D., is the Claudio X. Gonzalez Fellow in U.S.-Mexico Studies, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and the executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. his publications include, Social and Economic Effects of Expanded Deportation Measures and TN Visa’s Role in the US Labor Market and Its Uncertain Future

green book cover with book tile of The Future is Indigenous - Stories from the new Native North America Hall at the Field Museum - Edited by Alaka Wali and Tom Skwerski

Museums are changing their approach to exhibiting Native American artifacts. What is the new model and what is the impact? [ dur: 29mins. ]

Alaka Wali is the Curator of North American Anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago. She is co-editor of The Future is Indigenous: Stories from the Native North American Hall at the Field Museum.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Threat to Freedom of expression in US ; Author interview on case for universal Child Care for working American – September 7, 2025

September 7, 2025 host

As part of an ongoing attack on free expression, Donald Trump is trying to criminalize flag burning. Is this proposed ban constitutional? [ dur: 29mins. ]

Dennis Baron is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a frequent commentator on language issues in the national media and has written a number of popular books, including What’s Your Pronoun? (2020).

Picture of a Child's closet for a book titled Raising A Nation - 10 reasons every American has a stake in Child care for all. by Elliot Haspel.

Then, why is child care in America so expensive? This vital service that is so crucial for child and community development is among American families’ largest expenses. And why is child care so underfunded by the government? We speak with Elliot Haspel, author of Raising a Nation, 10 Reasons Every American Has a Stake in Child Care for All. [ dur: 29mins. ]

Elliot Haspel is a nationally recognized child care policy expert, a senior fellow at the think tank Capita. He’s the author of Crawling Behind America’s Child Care Crisis and How to Fix It, but today we’re going to talk about his new book. The new book is entitled, Raising a Nation, 10 Reasons Every American Has a Stake in Child Care for All. Elliott Hospital is currently pursuing his PhD in early childhood policy at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Alien Enemies Act policy use to deport immigrants and asylum seekers – August 31, 2025

August 31, 2025 host

The Trump Administration is using the Alien Enemies Act to seize Venezuelans and ship them to a notorious prison El Salvador without due process. What can be done to protect and uphold the rule of law and human rights in the face of the Trump Administration’s rejection of them? What are some means of legal and political resistance when human rights are being violated? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Jennifer Selin is Associate Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She’s written numerous articles, and in particular, Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks light Legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court.
Victor Narro is Project Director for the UCLA Labor Center and Core Faculty for the UCLA Department of Labor Studies. He teaches immigration law and is author of The Activist Spirit – Toward a Radical Solidarity and No One Size Fits All: Worker Organization, Policy, and Movement in a New Economic Age (Cornell University Press, 2018) and others.
Andrea Pitzer is an author and podcaster. She’s written One Long Night, a global history of concentration camps. This traces the idea of mass civilian detention without trial from its beginnings through Auschwitz and beyond, including up to today. She’s also the host of the podcast, Next Comes What.

Recorded April, 2025.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – US role in South Caucasus Armenia Azerbaijan peace treaty – August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025 host

Will the so called peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan legitimize ethnic cleansing? Will it bring peace to the two nations? Or is it a recipe for future conflict?

Military aggression and violations of of the notion of sovereignty have marked the conflicts in the South Caucuses region over the last three decades. Will the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue this trend or will it avert claims to sovereignty?

This agreement between Armenia & Azerbaijan brings the US directly into the South Caucuses. Will American answer the call if there is further military violence? [ dur: 58mins. ]

Anna Ohanyan is the Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Stonehill College. She is the editor of Russia Abroad: Driving Regional Fracture in Post-Communist Eurasia and Beyond and her latest book The Neighborhood Effect: The Imperial Roots of Regional Fracture in Post-Communist Eurasia .
Narek Sukiasyan is Lecturer at the American University of Armenia. He specializes in foreign and security policy of Armenia and Armenia-Russia affairs. His publications include The Manifestations of Sunni Radicalism in Azerbaijan and Territorial Autonomy and Secession as Strategies of Conflict Management: Case of Nagorno Karabakh.
Steve Swerdlow, Esq. is Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights in the Department of Political and International Relations at the University of Southern California. He writes extensively as a human rights monitor for Human Right Watch in both the Central Asian region and in the Caucuses. He is the author of Commentary: Who’s Coming To Prague Castle For Dinner?.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle – Texas Re-districting ; Grandmother’s of Argentine’s disappeared – August 10, 2025

August 10, 2025 host

First, will Donald Trump’s and the republican party’s efforts to redraw electoral maps give them a permanent majority? [ dur: 24mins. ]

Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.

Dual tone image of Abuelas of the Playa de Mayo in Argentina with book title of A Flower Traveled In my blood. By Haley Cohen Gilliland.

Then, during the so called “dirty war,” Argentina’s military dictatorship kidnapped and disappeared its own citizens. But a dedicated group of activists, mothers and grandmothers of the disappeared, dedicated their lives to finding those who were stolen from their families. Who were the Abuelas of the Playa de Mayo? And what happened in their quest to reunite the disappeared with their families? We speak with the author of A FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children. [ dur: 34mins. ]

Haley Cohen Gilliland is a journalist and the director of the Yale Journalism Initiative. She is the author of A FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Scholars' Circle Interviews

Tag Archives: Human Rights

Scholars’ Circle – US Policy of Policing Immigrants; Author Interview of Borders, Politics and Belonging – April 12, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Threat to Cuba and Cubans in US examined – April 5, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Türkiye’s interest in the war with Iran and book author interview – “I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany” – March 29, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – State and Nature, the effects of climate change on security; Insights on street protests in Iran – February 8, 2026

Scholars’ Circle – Reasons for political violence and how it becomes inevitable – September 21, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Supreme Court allows deportation based on profiling ; The future of indigenous exhibits – September 14, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Threat to Freedom of expression in US ; Author interview on case for universal Child Care for working American – September 7, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Alien Enemies Act policy use to deport immigrants and asylum seekers – August 31, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – US role in South Caucasus Armenia Azerbaijan peace treaty – August 24, 2025

Scholars’ Circle – Texas Re-districting ; Grandmother’s of Argentine’s disappeared – August 10, 2025

By Maria Armoudian