Richard Ashby Wilson

@richardawilson.bsky.social

630 followers 530 following 250 posts

Princeton University Professor of #Anthropology. Co-Director of the Human Rights Initiative. I write about #HumanRights & #CivilRights
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Richard Ashby Wilson is an American–British social anthropologist of law and human rights. He is the Gladstein Distinguished professor of Human Rights and Professor of Anthropology and Law at the University of Connecticut. In 2021, Wilson became the Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Intellectual Life at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Wilson established the interdisciplinary Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut and was the Director of the Human Rights Institute from 2003 to 2013. Wilson is one of the founders of the anthropology of human rights and was editor and an author of Human Rights, Culture and Context (1997), the first edited volume in the field of the anthropology of human rights. .. more

Political science 48%

History 17%

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Reposted by Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Richard Ashby Wilson , and 5 more Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Richard Ashby Wilson, Jacob T. Levy, Ann Bartow, Thomas Masterson, Simon Lester, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20h

under questioning by Rand Paul, ICE officials confirm that yelling at officers is not assault and recording officers is not a crime

Reposted by Steve Peers, Richard Ashby Wilson, Sanford F. Schram , and 1 more Steve Peers, Richard Ashby Wilson, Sanford F. Schram, Virginia Sapiro

Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 1d

Republicans are still trying to pass the SAVE Act—a bill that would make it harder to vote and disenfranchise millions of Americans. Join @redistrictingaction.org and tell your member of Congress to vote no: act.redistrictingaction.org/a/natl-saveact-cte

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson

Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 2d

I just published:

The Taken
Inside the ICE Detention Pipeline for US Citizens and Residents: From Minnesota to Texas

Documented through court records.

Including worms in food, sewage water flooding into eating areas, returned to Minnesota in chains and shackles after courts order release, more.

The Taken: Inside the ICE Detention Pipeline for US Citizens and Residents From Minnesota to Texas

We document these patterns through the use of sworn declarations and court filings.

www.justsecurity.org

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 2d

It’s clear that tariffs are a tax on the U.S. population…

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 2d

“Contrary to US government rhetoric, the cost of US import #tariffs are not borne by foreign exporters. Instead, they hit the American economy itself. #Importers and #consumers in the US bear *96 percent* of the tariff burden…”

www.kielinstitut.de/publications...

America's own goal: Americans pay almost entirely for Trump’s tariffs

Contrary to US government rhetoric, the cost of US import tariffs are not borne by foreign exporters. Instead, they hit the American economy itself. Importers and consumers in the US bear 96 percent o...

www.kielinstitut.de

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David H. Kaye, Richard Ashby Wilson

Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 3d

So I just listened to @ariberman.bsky.social articulate the same theory @jvl.bsky.social has: that there’s a real chance the Trump admin is going to lean on Maduro or offer him some sort of deal to say Venezuela did interfere in the 2020 elections.

open.spotify.com/episode/1cPG...

Trump Starts the Steal

open.spotify.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 4d

Excellent article on how to regulate AI so it doesn't eat society.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/o...

Opinion | The Democrats Again Risk Losing Voters They Take for Granted

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson, David Darmofal

Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 5d

Otay Mesa "Detention Center" (prison camp) in San Diego, CA:

lataco.com/captive-loti...

Exclusive: Detention Center Captives Are Throwing Lotion Bottles Wrapped With Notes to Organizers Outside Otay Mesa Facility ~ L.A. TACO

“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh," an Otay Mesa captive communicated through handwritten note. "We are all in one big room with no doors...

lataco.com

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson, Aaron Sojourner

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 5d

A federal judge in Oregon issued a sweeping rebuke of the Justice Department’s nationwide push to seize state voter rolls, ruling that the department can no longer be presumed to be acting in good faith and warning that its conduct threatens voters and states’ rights.

Federal judge rules DOJ can ‘no longer’ be trusted in voter roll crusade

The judge pointed to a letter from Bondi to Minnesota that tied federal immigration enforcement to demands for voter data as the smoking gun.

www.democracydocket.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 5d

"Trump’s entire political career — from his embrace of birtherism to his hatred of birthright citizenship — cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/o...

Opinion | This Is Just Who Trump Is

www.nytimes.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 9d

Wow wow wow. U.S. District Judge Biery writes a fabulous and piercing decision. Maximum respect…
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Annotating the Judge’s Decision in the Case of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-Year-Old Detained by ICE

Our critic annotates the barbed wordplay of a decision challenging the Trump administration’s theory of executive power.

www.nytimes.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 10d

My conversation about the current moment and state terror with Amelia Frank-Vitale and Jennifer Burrell in #Anthropology News.
www.anthropology-news.org/articles/res...

Responding to State Terror in the US - Anthropology News

This year opened with what writer M. Gessen described as the “state terror” phase of Trump’s presidency. Witnessing this acceleration in the federal

www.anthropology-news.org

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 10d

$68 million is a drop in the bucket for Google/Alphabet which had profits of $124 BILLION in 2025.

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 10d

ICE is now claiming it can arrest people without a warrant.

This comes after another internal memo asserting ICE agents can forcibly enter homes without a judicial warrant.

Hello? Democrats cannot let these blatantly unconstitutional actions continue. Not another penny for ICE.

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 11d

Trump’s illegal deportation campaign challenged by #HabeasCorpus, a legal protection that goes back (at least) to the #MagnaCarta and 1215

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...

Federal Courts Undercut Trump’s Mass Deportation Campaign

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Richard Ashby Wilson

Gabriela Romero @gdivinetz.bsky.social · 12d

ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without Warrants www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...

ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without Warrants

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 13d

Amazon has cut a combined 28,000 jobs since October. Its CEO made $40M+ in 2024

UPS has announced 78,000 job cuts since last year. Its CEO made $24M.

HP announced up to 6,000 layoffs in November. Its CEO made $21M.

This is what I mean when I say the system is rigged.

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson, Stacy D. VanDeveer

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 15d

America does not want us to fund a lawless out of control ICE.

- No more roving patrols or profiling. ICE/CBP are not trained to do this. And it's wrong. Require warrants.
- No more secret police. Take off the masks. Show ID.
- And real accountability for murder and assault.

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Richard Ashby Wilson, Gerald Friedman , and 4 more Nandita Sharma, Richard Ashby Wilson, Gerald Friedman, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Karen O’Leary, Olivier Mannoni, Monisha Bajaj

The Desert Veteran @jkz12769.bsky.social · 15d

The City of Philadelphia has introduced legislation to limited ICE in the city. The Federal Agents can not be masked, must have ID visible, must have arrested warrants signed by federal judges. They can't attack people. If they can't do this, they will be arrested.
youtu.be/i5Yvg_HHfbE?...

WATCH: Philadelphia lawmakers introduce 'ICE Out' legislation to restrict federal operations in city

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

youtu.be

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson, David Darmofal

Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 17d

I joined forces with @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social.

We explain deep connections between senior administration officials' smearing Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and ICE protestors as "domestic terrorists" and how this fits into the draconian NSPM-7.

Important for more people to wake up to this.

The Smearing of Alex Pretti and NSPM-7

How administration officials' labelling Alex Pretti and Renee Good as "domestic terrorists" fits in with NSPM-7.

www.justsecurity.org

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 17d

Police chiefs speak out against ICE.
There are only 20,000 ICE agents and nearly 1 million state and local police.
Just sayin...
www.instagram.com/reel/DTxpKrm...

Instagram

Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.

www.instagram.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 17d

Will the courts protect us from ICE murders? This is a test of the relevance of law in authoritarian times.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...

Minneapolis Live Updates: Trump Backs Off Criticism of Governor and Sends Border Czar to Lead ICE Operations

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Richard Ashby Wilson

CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 18d

Wolves have a moment of silence for Alex Pretti, after seven seconds of silence several fans yell "FUCK ICE"

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 18d

stocks.apple.com/AFbMmks95SzO...

Can ICE agents be prosecuted for Minneapolis shootings? — Reuters

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in separate enforcement actions in Minneapolis this month as part of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration cra...

stocks.apple.com

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 18d

Can ICE agents be prosecuted for Minneapolis shootings? Yes, if Minnesota prosecutors can show that their actions were objectively unreasonable or clearly unlawful.

Richard Ashby Wilson @richardawilson.bsky.social · 18d

Looking forward to the mass 2A and NRA demonstrations against this violation of the constitutionally protected right of Americans to bear arms.

Reposted by Steven Heydemann, Stephan Lewandowsky, Steve Peers , and 24 more Steven Heydemann, Stephan Lewandowsky, Steve Peers, John McLaren, Andrew Scott, Richard Ashby Wilson, David Rothschild, American Library Association, Bruce D. Baker, Adam Wellstead, Jonathan Hopkin, Aaron Sojourner, Pamela K. Gilbert, Nazita Lajevardi, Michael D. McDonald, Sahar F. Aziz, David Rosnick, Michael Jones‐Correa, Victor Pickard, Henry Jones, Greg O’Brien, Richard M. Carpiano, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Jeannette Sutton, Virginia Sapiro, Timothy D. McBride, Kristina McElheran

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 19d

The people who spent years defending and even lionizing Kyle Rittenhouse and Ashli Babbitt now want us to believe that an unarmed mother in her car and a disarmed nurse were domestic terrorists who deserved to be murdered by law enforcement.

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan, Leo Lucassen , and 5 more Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan, Leo Lucassen, Richard Ashby Wilson, Laurent Pech, Janet Murray, Anne Norton, Christina Pagel

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 19d

If you want proof that Trump is going to try to rig the elections, here it is:

In a letter to Gov. Tim Walz Saturday, Bondi claimed that Walz could “restore the rule of law” by complying with a list of demands, including giving the Department of Justice (DOJ) the state’s voter registration records.