Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #RestoreAsylumNOW
Most recents (24)
Last week ImmDef's Directing Attorney of our Cross-Border Initiative in San Diego, @CargioliM, was in court on the first day of resumed MPP 2.0 hearings to observe. This thread details what she witnessed. #EndMPP #RestoreAsylumNow #WelcomeWithDignity #AccessToJustice
Asylum seekers in MPP only have from 10 to 12 to potentially meet w/ lawyers on their day in court. That is if they can find a lawyer willing to represent them while being forced to remain in Tijuana, one of the most dangerous cities in the world. #DueProcess #AccessToCounsel
On the first day of MPP court in San Diego since the Biden administration decided to resume the deadly program, there are two judges hearing 7 cases. In the days and weeks ahead these numbers will sadly increase as more and more human beings are placed into MPP.
I spoke to the LA Times this weekend about news that additional sites in CA, including the Long Beach Convention Center, may open as Emergency Intake Sites for unaccompanied children.
Some key takeaways I have to this news (short thread):
latimes.com/california/sto…
Some key takeaways I have to this news (short thread):
latimes.com/california/sto…
Seeking asylum is legal. Full stop.
Trump spent 4 years decimating our asylum system and emergency measures are needed to protect children in the short term.
We need to meet this moment while also reimagining what our system should look like to truly #WelcomeWithDignity.
Trump spent 4 years decimating our asylum system and emergency measures are needed to protect children in the short term.
We need to meet this moment while also reimagining what our system should look like to truly #WelcomeWithDignity.
Children should never be in govt custody for a moment longer than absolutely necessary & we need to move towards a family first model, stop separating kids from non-parental caregivers and invest in community based resources including universal representation and social services.
Jose spent 888 days in ICE prisons before he was freed last April. He fled Guatemala as a child after being shot in the stomach and left for dead. He was ordered deported by Judge Tara Naselow in 2017 when he was just 17 y/o and unrepresented. (thread) 
By chance, I met him shortly after & we began long fight to right this wrong. Over the next 2.5+ years I visited Jose in 4 ICE prisons & told him many times that we weren’t going to give up. Sometimes I cried leaving worried I was creating false hope while he continued to suffer.
And then today, a LA Superior Crt Judge made orders finding that Jose was abused, abandoned & neglected by his parents & that it is in his best interests to remain in the US. With this, we are able to apply for his SIJS visa & are now one (huge) step closer to keeping him safe.
A couple weeks ago @taylorklevy alerted me late on a Friday night to a case of a disabled, 12 y/o boy that was missing. We jumped into action, but turns out our govt had already put him on a plane, alone & confused, and "expelled" him to Guatemala. reuters.com/article/us-usa…
Gustavo's story is infuriating. On Saturday 8/29, I woke up to an email from ICE telling me they had already expelled him alone to Guatemala. His mom, trapped in Juarez in the "Remain in Mexico" program, still had no idea where he was. I had to call her and be the one to tell her
As Gustavo's case played out, I had flashbacks to 2018 when kids were being ripped from their parents at the border. The chaos, the lack of focus on child welfare, the confusion, the network of lawyers and others helping to find him -- it was all so familiar. And disheartening.
#FreeThemAll Our client Josie is free after 6 mo in Otay Mesa thanks to the hard work of our legal team & partners
@HaitianBridge
@miles4migrants
@RespondCrisis
@MinorityHumani1
@bailfundnetwork
& #BIJAN.
At 22 Josie fled political persecution from Haiti and is now free! 1/3
@HaitianBridge
@miles4migrants
@RespondCrisis
@MinorityHumani1
@bailfundnetwork
& #BIJAN.
At 22 Josie fled political persecution from Haiti and is now free! 1/3
Josie's asylum officer made a negative finding. We were able to get the IJ to review & vacate it
Meanwhile Josie became one of over 5k ppl who have contracted CV19 while in ICE prison. Luckily she recovered and is on her way home #SafeAndTogether w/her sponsor. Welcome home! 2/3
Meanwhile Josie became one of over 5k ppl who have contracted CV19 while in ICE prison. Luckily she recovered and is on her way home #SafeAndTogether w/her sponsor. Welcome home! 2/3
Though we are ecstatic to see this smile, it shouldn't take 7 organizations, a case of COVID, and 6 months of her life she can't get back to find freedom and safety in the U.S. We must fix this system #RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #AbolishICE 3/3
We are so proud to announce that our client Gerson is going UC Berkeley on a full ride! 3 years ago he came to the US from El Salvador as an unaccompanied minor. In April 2019 our attorneys were able to secure his asylum status. Join us in congratulating him for his hard work
“When I started high school in the U.S, terms like college or higher education did not cross my mind at any point. Learning English was challenging under situations where you tend to lose your thoughts and motivation. - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 2/6)
"When I got into UC Berkeley, I recognized all the elements- people, organizations, and experiences that contributed to that accomplishment. The desire for social justice is something that inspires me to help my community..." - ImmDef client Gerson (Thread 3/6)
As the nation is glued to rising pandemic numbers, attention has diverted away from the injustices #MPP clients are still facing at the border. We must not forget them. Many spend hours @ POE for updated hearing notices stuck in the rain, only to be told to come back the next day
Some fear leaving shelters due to quarantine protocols. Others who can leave, like our clients in the video above, attempt to only have one family member retrieve the notice to reduce the risks of #Covid19, but they are told all family members must be present.
The family spent 6 hours in the rain on their second attempt that week being shuffled around several POE. Finally, after speaking with the Mexican consulate who spoke with authorities, Chaparral allowed people to proceed 3 at a time. #RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP
#MPP thread. 3:55am & I’m at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, at the time asylum-seekers are supposed to show up at the bridge for their court dates. It’s still pitch black outside of course, & still no word from @DOJ_EOIR if #MPP courts going forward
4:40am. Seems like asylum-seekers have been processed as usual for their #MPP hearings. We have been trying to give advice to people before they cross about the possibility of judges calling in sick, etc. It’s been awful to watch their faces fall with the news. #ParoleThemAll
Our Cross-Border Initiative team is back in court💪Follow this thread to hear what's happening today in San Diego w/IJ O'Connor's #MPP courtroom w/@CargioliM. Out of 32 respondents there is only one attorney present. #RestoreAsylumNow (THREAD)
The room is full of families today. One family has a 2, 4, and 6 yr old. Another woman w/1.5 yr old. He tells the mom that as long as she attends her son definitely does not need to attend the hearing. Young children are exhausted and fell asleep in the courtroom.
One couple w/a child.
O'Connor: How old is your daughter Ma'am?
Father: 1 yr and 8 mo.
O'Connor: Do you answer to Ma'am?
The father apologizes to the judge. The judge repeats the question.
O'Connor: How old is your daughter Ma'am?
Father: 1 yr and 8 mo.
O'Connor: Do you answer to Ma'am?
The father apologizes to the judge. The judge repeats the question.
Yesterday we represented a mom & her toddler during an intrvw where she begged a @USCIS officer not to send her back to MX. During the 4 hr phone intvw, our client recounted two recent kidnapping attempts and said she lives in constant fear for their lives. #RestoreAsylumNOW
Throughout the interview you could hear her toddler, at times crying and sometimes talking, trying to get his mom’s attention. Our client bravely did her best to console, comfort, and entertain her baby while also carefully answering the officer’s adversarial questions.
At one point during the 4 hr phone interview, the child’s crying got louder and it was hard to hear mom’s responses to the officer’s questions. The Officer asked her to please quiet the child, and she said, “it’s really difficult to comfort him because I’m handcuffed.”
ImmDef Director @L_Toczylowski is back in the #MigrantPersecutionProtocols court in SD today. Despite the 9th Circuit finding the #MPP program illegal & dangerous, in the first courtroom we visit today there are 5 families appearing before IJ Simpson today. No one has an atty.
There are 5 families in this courtroom, all of them with little kids in tow. One little girl is playing w/ a teddy bear on the court bench. IJ Simpson is asking the families if they have have any questions. A women stands asks if her case can be joined w/ her children’s cases.
Stunning response: “well in a moment I am going to find that your charging document is defective and therefore you won’t have a case anymore to join with your kids’ cases. Any other questions?” He immediately moves into a group oral decision terminating there cases. #NoJustice
UPDATE: Day 2 attempting to present non-refoulement interviewees at the border. After staying at POE until 8pm+, our attorneys are heading back now. We are presenting 11 clients, 1/2 of which are children at SD/TJ border. @CargioliM #RestoreAsylumNow (THREAD)
Our Attorney @CargioliM just landed at POE & will be taking over the account to report.
The young children are patiently awaiting for the U.S. government to recognize their right to a non-refoulement interview. #MPP #SaveAsylum
HAPPENING NOW: We are at the San Ysidro/TJ POE with @ImmDef where our clients, including 13 children, are being denied the fear interviews that would make them exempt from #MPP aka Remain in Mexico Policy. Our team has been here since 12pm advocating on behalf of these families.
@ImmDef Current #MPP policy states an asylum seeker must prove they face imminent danger in MX via non-refoulement interview (NRI), in order not to be returned to MX. An asylum seeker can request an NRI at any time. CBP is denying clients their right to an NRI and only hope for safety.
These children and families have survived several kidnappings, been assaulted by MX police and held at gunpoint. By the government’s own policy, these families DO NOT belong in MX, and yet CBP is telling us they’ve been instructed not to let anyone. #restoreasylumnow
BREAKING: Our clients are being barred from presenting their non-refoulement (fear of MX) interviews at the border. Approx 30 @ImmDef @AlOtroLado_Org clients have been barred since noon. Our atty @CargioliM is taking over to report the latest updates #RestoreAsylumNow (THREAD)
Children and families who have survived multiple kidnapping attempts, those assaulted by MX police, families held at gunpoint - all NOT ALLOWED non-refoulement interviews for the last 5 hours @CargioliM
Among the vulnerable families we are presenting at the POE is a family with a 6 year old who were threatened by narcotics traffickers in Mexico. #SaveAsylum
Last week, my colleagues in the Senate and I wrote AG Barr, requesting documents on the politicization of our #CourtsInCrisis. You can read our letter HERE: whitehouse.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…
Unlike other judicial bodies, the immigration courts lack meaningful #JudicialIndependence from the Executive Branch
Under U.S. and international law, immigrants and asylum seekers are entitled to due process and fair judges. We must #RestoreAsylumNow
Due process rights & #JudicialIndependence must be paramount in immigration court, where judges adjudicate asylum requests for those who fear life-threatening harm & discretionary relief requests that could subject American families to permanent separation. #ProtectDueProcess
“vulnerable people seeking asylum in the US depend on a functioning court system to protect them from persecution, torture & death. Yet, in the immigration courts, the tradition of #JudicialIndependence has been turned upside down.”@splcenter @ThinkLawLab ow.ly/TiZc30qhxhu
Our court system only works on a level playing field. Stacking the deck against asylum seekers with case completion quotas for judges is having a real and lasting negative impact on our judicial system. #JudicialIndependence #ProtectDueProcess
Our tax dollars should be invested in education, housing, prison alternatives and health care programs that provide opportunity and increased well-being for all - not in the Trump administration's anti-immigrant and racist policies. #DefundHate #SOTU
The Trump administration continues to promote discrimination against immigrants, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and Muslims. #DefundHate #SOTU #SOTU2020
The Trump administration is ripping apart health care and nutrition programs for low-income people. #DefundHate #SOTU #SOTU2020
Director of Legal Services, Joyce Noche gave a powerful speech during MPP press conference. She shared a story of one of her clients, an 18-year-old named Yolanda who had been separated from her pregnant sister when the pair arrived at the border to ask for asylum.
“She was immediately targeted upon return [to Mex], stalked and harassed by people who saw her for what she was — a vulnerable girl with no one to protect her who had been thrown into the streets… I have never worried as much about my client’s safety as I do about Yolanda.”"
People are dying because of MPP. Help us fight back. Support ImmDef at ImmDef.org/support or click the link in our bio. #EndMPP #RESTOREASYLUMNOW #immdef #immigrantdefenderslawcenter #keepfamiliestogether
On train home to LA from SD, I am thinking about all I saw & heard today as we commemorated the 1 year anniversary of the #MigrantPersecutionProtocols by demanding our govt #RestoreAsylumNOW. And I can’t stop thinking about the last case I watched, a mom w/ her 3 kids. (thread)
I wasn’t able to live tweet case b/c IJ Simpson randomly told me I wasn’t allowed to have a phone in court, which isn’t true, but I was too tired to argue. If you read thread @ImmDef today, this was the mom w/ the kids who had to leave & come back at end b/c toddler was crying.
Mom was exhausted and overwhelmed when the court heard her case at 4:30pm. She told the IJ that she was desperate. She begged him to help her, explaining that her kids have asthma and they are sick all the time and getting worse. Her loud, deep sobs made IJ Simpson uncomfortable.
Thank you @sdACLU for suing the govt to ensure access to counsel during fear of return to Mexico interviews. Now that we are allowed to participate, we see how terrifying, cursory and inadequate this system is. All the more reason to keep fighting to #RestoreAslyumNOW. (THREAD)
From @ImmDef Legal Services Director Joyce Noche: I was on the phone tonight while my client sat in a hielera at the border, pleading with an asylum officer in LA, with an interpreter who accidentally disconnected 3 times during the call.
My client described being kidnapped for 3 months in southern MX with her 5-year old son, she described being held in a house, unable to leave b/c her captors were demanding $6,000. She described how her son lived in fear in captivity, and they often threatened not to feed him.
Back in #MigrantPersecutionProtocols court for the afternoon in San Diego, now switching to Judge Clemente’s courtroom. ImmDef Director @L_Toczylowski will be breaking down what is happening for everyone who can’t come witness this mockery of justice in person. #RestoreAslyumNOW
This courtroom is packed. There are a few lawyers here, including @CargioliM (ImmDef’s managing atty in San Diego), who is representing a family that includes 3 little girls, all with glittery bows in their hair and the two youngest girls (age 2 and 3) are wearing pink tutus.
With the help of @JFSSD, @ImmDef teamed up w/ @ThinkLawLab to do a quick KYR presentation for the many unrepresented families here. Like all of the triage lawyering we do for #MPP, this is woefully inadequate given that they are about to appear b4 a judge and lives are at stake.
One year later, Remain in Mexico has proven every bit as cruel and catastrophic as we feared. 🧵
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
Since January 2019, nearly 60,000 people have been forcibly returned to Mexico under the program, including thousands of families and young children.
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
There have been 816 documented cases of murder, sexual assault, extortion, kidnapping, and other serious violence perpetrated against people entered in the program.
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
#RestoreAsylumNow #EndMPP #SaveAsylum
@L_Toczylowski is taking over ImmDef’s Twitter this morning to live tweet from #MPP court in San Diego. Follow this thread to get a peek inside a border court where asylum seekers’ due process rights are being violated every single day. #RestoreAsylumNOW #SaveAsylum #EndMPP
While we wait for the CBP bus full of asylum seekers to arrive from the border, I am taking a look at the posted docket lists: 37 ppl have court this morning, & only 1 has a lawyer. This afternoon 107 ppl have court, & only 4 have lawyers. #RestoreAsylumNOW
Waiting for hearings to start. Asylum seekers here now. ICE detention officer just walked into courtroom & asked another guard “can you ask the aliens if anyone needs to go to the bathroom before we get started?” She asks in Spanish, the terrified, tired looking group all decline
The Trump administration has weaponized the immigration courts as a deportation machine. Tune in as the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship holds a hearing about the U.S. immigration courts crisis. #AbolishTheDeportationMachine #SaveAsylum bit.ly/36wQBWP
The immigration court backlog is over one million cases. Thousands of asylum seekers wait years for their court date. #AbolishTheDeportationMachine #SaveAsylum #RestoreAsylumNow
Read our report on immigration courts: splcenter.org/20190625/attor…
Read our report on immigration courts: splcenter.org/20190625/attor…
Our nation’s immigration courts make life-and-death decisions every day for people seeking #asylum.
We're suing to bring integrity to the immigration court system. #AbolishTheDeportationMachine #SaveAsylum #RestoreAsylumNow
splcenter.org/seeking-justic…
We're suing to bring integrity to the immigration court system. #AbolishTheDeportationMachine #SaveAsylum #RestoreAsylumNow
splcenter.org/seeking-justic…
