Thread by @P4HR

LIVE now: PHR Asylum network member Dr. Todd @Schneberk testifies at @HomelandDems hearing on examining the human rights and legal implications of DHS' Remain in Mexico policy. #SaveAsylum #DefundHate

@Schneberk @HomelandDems My work has changed dramatically since the Trump administration rolled out MPP ... I regularly witness the dire impacts of the MPP and I am here to share my assessment that this program should be halted and defunded immediately.

@Schneberk @HomelandDems In February of this year, I was part of a PHR team that documented the cases of asylum seekers in Tijuana. These findings later formed the basis of a PHR report entitled, “If I went back, I would not survive.” phr.org/our-work/resou…

@Schneberk @HomelandDems We medically evaluated dozens of #AsylumSeekers who shared harrowing stories of the extreme brutality and whose physical and psychological scars bore out their narratives.

Not surprisingly, the majority screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder.

@Schneberk @HomelandDems Since the completion of PHR’s investigations, I have participated in multiple forensic evaluations of MPP returnees through a network of both Mexican and U.S. physicians and attorneys. Here are snapshots of some of these cases:

@Schneberk @HomelandDems Alec is a Honduran evangelical pastor who was assaulted multiple times and shot in the leg for opposing gangs recruiting youth .... Alec screened positive for depression and PTSD. Although he was granted #asylum in immigration court, this decision was immediately appealed.

@Schneberk @HomelandDems Martin is a young man who fled Honduras due to pressure to join a gang.... After being forced to wait in Tijuana, Martin suffered several seizures that caused significant head and facial trauma.

@Schneberk @HomelandDems Since this program began being rolled out in February, I have seen firsthand how MPP puts the mental and physical health of asylum seekers at grave risk, harming a population that has already experienced severe levels of trauma.

@Schneberk @HomelandDems I urge Congress to take action by directing DHS to immediately defund MPP and abolish “metering”, as well as any policies that may negatively impact the right to seek #asylum risk the re-traumatization of this vulnerable population. #AsylumSaves #DefundHate

@Schneberk @HomelandDems TAKE ACTION:

Join PHR to call on Congress to Defund and Abolish U.S. “Migrant Protection Protocols”
secure.phr.org/secure/defund-…
#DefundHate #SaveAsylum #AsylumSeekers