Dear Friend,
Last January, along with a group of my colleagues, I visited Matamoros, Mexico. Just across the border from our office in Harlingen, Texas, Matamoros is host to thousands of asylum-seekers and refugees. During our visit, we met with families and children who had been threatened with murder, kidnapping, and violence and lived in a constant state of terror about their safety. They were forced to live on the streets and in makeshift tents without reliable access to food, clean water, and other essentials because of the Trump administration's falsely-named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the Remain in Mexico policy.
On January 20, 2021, the Biden-Harris administration suspended new enrollments in the Remain in Mexico policy and last week the administration announced its intention to admit some of the families who have been trapped in Mexico. But for the time being, thousands of families and children remain stranded. Others, who were rushed through sham proceedings in tent courts hastily erected at the border, have been told they must return to their home country even though they never had a fair day in court.
These families’ stories must be heard. In January, several children and families gave us permission to share their stories with the Supreme Court. Their stories are now part of our website, which you can read here. (Content warning: Stories include descriptions of violence against children and adults.) It's your support that allows us to uplift children's voices and stories and fight for their rights and best interests. You make this advocacy possible.
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Thank you,
Maria Woltjen
Executive Director
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