April 8, 2019

Judge Blocks Trump Policy That Forces Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico

“Remain in Mexico” was the administration’s main way of deterring asylum seekers.

Ariel, a Honduran asylum-seeker, hugs an attorney before entering the United States in March to begin his asylum case after being returned to Mexico.Gregory Bull/AP

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A federal judge is blocking the Trump administration’s policy of forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US court dates. The move will, at least temporarily, end the Trump administration’s most important policy for deterring Central American families from requesting protecting under US asylum laws. 

The preliminary injunction was issued by San Francisco district court judge Richard Seeborg. The administration’s policy, known as Remain in Mexico, was announced in December and went into effect in late January. It forces migrants to wait in dangerous border cities and makes it impossible for many of them to find lawyers.

Remain in Mexico was arguably Kirstjen Nielsen’s biggest achievement as homeland security secretary. President Donald Trump pushed Nielsen out on Sunday, and she will be replaced by Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan on Wednesday, two days before Seeborg’s injunction goes into effect.

“We’re thrilled that the judge agreed with our arguments and has blocked this heinous policy,” said Melissa Crow, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, represented the plaintiffs challenging the policy. “It’s a huge statement that he agreed with our arguments.

“Today’s victory is especially important amidst reports that the Trump administration is planning to move toward even more extreme immigration policies,” she added. “The decision will prevent incredibly vulnerable individuals from being trapped in dangerous conditions in Mexico, but it’s only a step in a much larger fight.”

Seeborg’s order is below:

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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