Why Is the US Sending Asylum Seekers Back to Mexico?
 
When the Trump administration implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)—or “Remain in Mexico” policy—in 2019, we saw people who were fleeing violence in Central America and applying for asylum in the US being turned away at our southern border. Left to fend for themselves in some of the most dangerous areas of Mexico while awaiting their court dates, the MPP offered no protection at all. When President Biden took office in 2020, he made good on his promise to rescind the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, imposed “substantial and unjustifiable human costs on the individuals who were exposed to harm while waiting in Mexico.” However, the administration was court-ordered to reinstate it. 
 
The Biden administration could have complied with the court order while reducing the scope of this inhumane policy. Instead, in December the administration made it even more harmful by expanding it to apply to people from more countries—including those fleeing the current violence in Haiti. At the same time, the administration has kept in place Title 42—a policy that uses the pandemic as an excuse to turn away asylum seekers.
 
Here, artist Carrie Hawks paints a picture of life under threat from all sides, as many people fleeing Central America are at risk of gang violence, detention, and deportation. Many of them also suffer from physical injuries and psychological trauma. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have treated thousands of people along the migration route through Central America and Mexico. The medical evidence points to high levels of violence and ill treatment suffered by migrants and refugees in their home countries, along the migration route, and in the custody of US and Mexican authorities. We've seen first-hand how “Remain in Mexico” traps people in danger and how Title 42 effectively blocks them from gaining asylum. It’s time for the Biden administration to do everything its power to end these harmful policies and build a humane asylum system—now. #EndMPP #EndTitle42