On February 26, 2026, the Puerto Rico Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), established in 2022, issued a report on the effects of the Insular Cases and the Non-Incorporation Doctrine on the civil rights of the residents of Puerto Rico. This report is the culmination of a multi-year study that included eight public briefings between 2023 through 2025 and the publication of four memorandums. The Committee, which is the agency’s inaugural body on the island, is also the first USCCR advisory committee to publish its work products in Spanish and English.
The Committee identified a series of subtopics to focus each of its memorandums as part of this study. Each memorandum is based on testimony received by diverse sets of panelists invited by the Committee, which were comprised of subject matter experts and community representatives.