Automated Borders, Human Consequences: The Use of AI in Migration Control and the Legal Limits of International Refugee Law

By ilrdigit | September 15, 2025 |

Written by Evie Bellino I. Introduction As artificial intelligence (“AI”) becomes increasingly embedded in border control systems around the world, a troubling question emerges: are these technological tools helping governments manage migration more efficiently, or are they dangerously undermining the rights of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations? In the United States, the scale…

The Impunity of Corporations in International Criminal Law

By ilrdigit | September 4, 2025 |

Written by Carter Schwalls Introduction Multinational Corporations (“MNCs”) operating in conflict zones often act with impunity, leveraging opaque supply chains and weak enforcement mechanisms to insulate themselves from liability. Whether it is a cement company allegedly financing ISIS to protect its infrastructure, or a tech firm enabling surveillance by authoritarian regimes, corporate conduct has increasingly…

A New Era of Refugees: Rethinking International Protection for Climate-Displaced Persons in the Horn of Africa

By ilrdigit | August 29, 2025 |

Written by Jillian Ratnavale Introduction Climate change has become a driving force behind widespread droughts, desertification, and crop failure in the Horn of Africa. These impacts have displaced millions of people across Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, either internally or across borders. The growing scale of climate displacement demands legal recognition and protection. As global responses…

U.S. Strikes Against Iran: An International Law Perspective

By ilrdigit | August 29, 2025 |

Written by Samantha Johnson Introduction Under Article 2(4) of the United Nations (“U.N.”) Charter, all Member States have an obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against another State. Despite this, on June 22, 2025, the United States (“U.S.”) conducted its first act of military involvement in the conflict between Israel and…

Running Afoul of Non-Refoulement: The Trump Administration’s Removals to El Salvador and the Convention Against Torture

By ilrdigit | August 29, 2025 |

Written by Ximena Itan Dehui Reyes Torres Introduction On March 15, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to facilitate the removal of “[a]lien enemies” to “any such location . . . consistent with applicable law.” Pursuant to the proclamation, more than 230 noncitizens were removed to El Salvador and immediately…

The Italy-Albania Protocol: Italy’s Externalization of Border Control in the Mediterranean Prompts Human Rights Concerns

By ilrdigit | July 20, 2025 |

Written by Ashley Rooney Introduction Italy has the largest recorded population of voluntary emigrants in modern history, with 13 million people leaving the country between 1880 and 1915 alone. However, in the 1970s, Italy experienced a shift from its status as an emigrant country to an immigrant country when large numbers of people relocated to…

Balancing National Security and Human Rights—How U.S. Refugee Policy Evolves and Interacts with International Laws

By ilrdigit | July 20, 2025 |

Written by Martin Ma Since 1950s, there has been a surge in the immigration population to the United States despite some fluctuations. Among this surging immigration population, there are large numbers of refugees coming from other parts of the world. The U.S. accommodates refugees out of humanitarian concerns. However, refugees affect the U.S. from the…

Alone Among Democracies: America’s Return to Capital Punishment

By ilrdigit | July 9, 2025 |

Written by Julie Gobble On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that drastically reshaped the nation’s approach to capital punishment. The directive reverses Biden-era policies, expanding the federal government’s role in executions and mandating that it pursue capital punishment in all cases deemed severe enough to warrant it. It highlights explicitly…

Greenwashing in Fashion: Can International Law Stop Deceptive Sustainability Claims?

By ilrdigit | June 30, 2025 |

Written by Erin Soro  The fashion industry has long been under scrutiny for its environmental impact. In recent years, brands have increasingly marketed themselves as “sustainable” or “carbon neutral.” Many of these claims constitute greenwashing—exaggerating or fabricating sustainability efforts to attract environmentally conscious consumers. Fashion brands have never been environmental darlings, but their use of carbon…

Fujimori’s Influence from Beyond the Grave: How Peru’s New Impunity Law Could Impede Justice for Crimes Against Humanity Victims

By ilrdigit | June 25, 2025 |

Written by Taylor Potenziano On August 7, 2024, Peru enacted Law 32107, more commonly known as the “impunity law.” The law establishes that no one can be prosecuted or sentenced for war crimes or crimes against humanity committed before July 1, 2002. The Popular Force party, led by Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru’s notorious…