Action Alert: Protect Asylum Seekers

Written on: January 29, 2020

Today, January 29, 2020 marks one year since the U.S. government began implementing its harmful “Remain in Mexico,” (or Migration Protection Protocol) policy. 

The U.S. asylum system is under systemic evisceration:

The Trump administration has blocked families and children seeking protection and instead is delivering them to life-threatening dangers by unlawfully returning asylum seekers to Mexico while their case is adjudicated, turning away asylum seekers at the border, “metering” entry and forcing asylum seekers to wait months to even apply for protection, rerouting asylum seekers back to the persecution they fled, and trying to categorically deny asylum to those fleeing their homes by traveling through another country.

All people have the legal right to seek a safe place to call home, and seeking asylum is protected within U.S. and international law. We must demand that our Members of Congress defend our values and decry these policies. Please join us, along with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC), today for the #Faith4Asylum National Day of Prayer and Action to express empathy and solidarity with asylum seekers.

 Here is a way you can take action:

Call Congress: Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected with your Senators and Representative and ask them to defund the dangerous Remain in Mexico policy. Here’s some suggested text:

 As a person of faith, I believe we have a responsibility to protect migrant children and families applying for asylum. I have particularly grave concerns about the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also referred to as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Instead of allowing asylum applicants at U.S. borders to stay in the U.S. while their cases are resolved, MPP forces asylum-seeking families to wait in Mexico. 

Recent accounts show that this policy is putting thousands of people at risk. Migrants forced to stay in Mexico – including families with children and pregnant women – face massive shortages of shelter, health care, education, food, and water. In addition, many are forced to live in very dangerous situations and are exposed to serious crimes including kidnapping, sexual assault, and attacks. Forcing families and children to live in such conditions while pursuing asylum claims is morally wrong and severely limits access to the asylum protection. 

Please defund this harmful program immediately. 

If you are prompted to leave a message, please do so. This will assure that your voice is heard and registered!

This entry was posted in With a Heart for Justice and tagged: #Faith4Asylum, Asylum, attacks, children, Congress, dangerous, education, empathy, exposed, Faith, families, Food, harmful, health care, international law, kidnapping, life-threatening danger, Mexico, migrant children, morally wrong, neighbor, person of faith, pregnant women, protection, responsibility, risk, sexual assault, shelter, solidarity, U.S. law, values, Water