Today, the Tahirih Justice Center celebrates a victory in its lawsuit challenging the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy! Judge Seeborg of the Northern District of California decided to stop the expanding policy in its tracks.
The Administration implemented the policy in January, and since then the government has forced individuals seeking help and protection to wait indefinitely and in unstable conditions in Mexico. Tahirih objected to the policy for months, stating that it would cause harm to asylum seekers who need swift access to legal and social services in order to effectively make their claims before an immigration judge. Waiting weeks or months in Mexico without such access prolongs the healing process for both survivors and their children, delays their ability to make informed decisions about their legal options and next steps, and risks compounding existing trauma by exposing them to additional threats of violence.
“Remain in Mexico is leaving individuals and families fleeing persecution stranded on the other side of the border, when what they need and deserve under our laws is protection in America,” said Archi Pyati, Tahirih Chief of Policy.
“Tahirih represents asylum seekers who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, and we know that they need legal and social services to effectively make their claims before an immigration judge. This policy goes against basic tenets of fairness, and makes it all but impossible for us to do our jobs. We are glad to see justice served.”
Tahirih joined partner organizations Innovation Law Lab, Al Otro Lado, Centro Legal de la Raza, Carecen SF, the Immigration & Deportation Defense Clinic at University of San Francisco Law School and individual plaintiffs in challenging the policy as it makes it harder for us to fulfill our main mission: helping asylum seekers to get to safety and realize their rights under U.S. law. Tahirih will keep working to ensure that asylum seekers can access protections through a just and fair system.
Read the judge’s decision here.
