The African-Caribbean Reparations and Resettlement Alliance (ACRRA) announced a significant development in its pursuit of human rights and reparative justice for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has formally opened for processing and forwarded ACRRA’s petition (P-769-25) to the United States government, requesting a response to allegations of ongoing human rights violations and functional statelessness faced by Virgin Islanders.
The petition, originally filed by ACRRA on April 14, meticulously details systemic human rights abuses stemming from the 1916 Treaty of the Danish West Indies and exacerbated by a recent breach of the Lansing Declaration by U.S. officials on March 28, 2025. ACRRA’s submission highlights the profound impact of these historical and contemporary actions on the nationality and political disenfranchisement of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In a pivotal move, the IACHR has now given the U.S. government a period of three months, with a possible one-month extension, to formally respond to the serious allegations presented in ACRRA’s petition. This formal communication was sent directly to The Honorable Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, via Ms. Kimberly Penland, Interim Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States.
The IACHR’s letter to Secretary Rubio, dated July 25, 2025, was sent by Jorge Meza, Assistant Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and explicitly states: “I respectfully request that Your Excellency’s Government submit a response to the petition within a period of three months, which may be extended if necessary to a maximum of four months, pursuant to Article 30(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the IACHR”. This action by the IACHR underscores the critical lack of effective domestic judicial or legal mechanisms within the United States for Virgin Islanders to seek redress for these deeply rooted systemic human rights issues and breaches of international agreements.
“This is a momentous day for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and a significant validation of ACRRA’s unwavering commitment to securing full human rights and reparative justice,” stated Shelley Moorhead, President. “The IACHR’s decision to actively process our petition and demand a response from the United States government, directly communicating with the Secretary of State, clearly demonstrates the international community’s recognition of the urgent need to address the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Virgin Islanders, including their functional statelessness and lack of full citizenship rights. We urge the U.S. government to take this opportunity seriously and engage constructively with the IACHR.”
ACRRA has consistently argued that the inability of Virgin Islanders to access full and equal citizenship, coupled with their disenfranchisement within the American political system, constitutes a clear violation of fundamental human rights. The organization remains steadfast in its resolve to utilize all available international avenues, including the IACHR, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), to achieve meaningful reparative justice and self-determination for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
