Thread by @taylorklevy

"Family Separation" was horrific. But have you heard about "Remain in Mexico"? Also known as the "Migrant Protection Protocols," #MPP does the exact opposite from "protecting" migrants. #MPP is cruel & inhumane, & its victims need remedies TODAY, not a task force. A thread: 1/

#MPP started on Jan 29, 2019. Under MPP, immigrants coming to the border requesting protection from violence ("asylum-seekers") are fingerprinted/photographed by Border Patrol & then sent to Mexico with a piece of paper telling them to come back on a certain date for court. 2/

Upon deportation to Mexico, ppl in #MPP are in extreme danger. They are not Mexican, & their accents & clothing makes them obvious to cartels, who target them for kidnapping, extorting ransom money from their family members using WhatsApp & social media 3/

While kidnapped, asylum-seekers in #MPP are frequently beaten, raped, & tortured, often directly in front of their screaming children. Sometimes, the children themselves are also beaten, raped, & tortured. Human rights groups have documented 1,000+ such cases 4/

Many asylum-seekers in #MPP get kidnapped more than once. There is no where safe for them to live. Migrant shelters & dilapidated "camps" have insufficient space, & cartels often kidnap people directly from these locations. Those in apartments live in constant fear of attack 5/

Back to the issue of court, ppl in #MPP are supposed to appear on the date on their paperwork to see an judge who decides if they qualify for protection under the law & permission to stay in the US ("asylum"). However, this process occurs over several court dates, months apart 6/

This means that many ppl placed into #MPP in 2019 are STILL stuck in Mexico today! The problem of MPP court backlogs was compounded exponentially in March 2020 when ALL MPP courts were cancelled, with ZERO remedies for these asylum-seekers stuck in Mexico 7/

During these 2 years, 700+ parents have made the agonizing decision to send their minor children across the border alone, in a desperate, last-ditch effort to keep them safe. This forced family separation is a direct result of #MPP, & these families remain separated today. 8/

The point: #MPP *is* Family Separation; a cruel, twisted nightmare of violence, desperation, & death. The @POTUS Executive Orders are a step in the right direction, but we need IMMEDIATE ACTION to #WelcomeWithDignity all the victims of MPP; there is not another moment to wait 9/

Finally, everything above also applies to "Title 42," the pandemic-era version of #MPP. All of the same horrors, but without even the gloss of "justice"-->rapid deportation of all asylum-seekers without being given court dates & zero opportunity to see a judge. 10/end.

Thank you @CareInActionUS and @Morning_Joe for highlighting the immediate need to end #MPP!

https://twitter.com/careinactionus/status/1356967898833702916