Thread: Unsurprisingly, I remain disgusted at the illegal #MigrantPersecutionProtocols. My clients are so unbelievably traumatized at the hands of the US government they can barely speak for 5 minutes without breaking down completely.
One of my clients fled death threats from gangs in El Sal after the police told the gang she filed a report. When she arrived, she was abused by CBP. She’s so terrified of CBP that though she could likely get out of MPP, she can’t imagine even a few days detention by the US govt
Another client entered in July. He was never told why he was sent back to Mexico. He opposed the Venezuelan government and fled after being threatened and assaulted. He is being forced to wait FIVE MONTHS in Mexico before his first hearing in the US.
My clients need medical attention and medical exams for their asylum cases. They need to prepare testimony before their final hearings. They need to give me evidence for their asylum claims. We are all being forced to find a way to make that happen bc they can’t enter the US.
Usually we meet with clients 4 times in the week before their asylum hearing alone to prepare testimony. These are life and death cases and we treat them as such. How will my clients have access to me to prepare? How will they access medical exams and mental health professionals?
MPP is illegal for many reasons, but don’t think for a second access to counsel isn’t a problem. 99% of the 35,000+ people in this program do not have access to counsel. #asylum #asylumseekers #mpp
