Why the Government Should End the Migrant Protection Protocols Policy

The Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)—also commonly known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy—will put asylum seekers at grave risk of harm by forcing them to remain in Mexico pending their request for protection.

Due to these concerns, immigration advocates submitted a letter to the government with first-hand testimonies of ten families attesting to the violence and harm–including rape, beatings, kidnappings, and ransom–they faced on the Mexican side of our southern border. The letter draws from over 500 surveys completed by asylum-seeking mothers describing the extensive harm they experienced and witnessed in Mexico before crossing the border. Alarmingly, we found that:

• 90.3% of respondents said that they did not feel safe in Mexico.
• 46% of respondents reported that they or their child experienced at least one type of harm while in Mexico.
• 38.1% of respondents stated that Mexican police mistreated them.

The letter urges the government to terminate the MPP immediately and ensure that asylum seekers are provided meaningful access to a safe, timely, and fair adjudication of their requests for protection. 

The letter was submitted on behalf of the Dilley Pro Bono Project, a local partner in the Immigration Justice Campaign, which operates a non-traditional pro bono model of legal services that directly represents immigrant mothers and children detained at the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.