It has come to my attention that the legal director and litigation director of Al Otro Lado, an organization that provides direct legal representation to detained asylum seekers in Southern California, have been removed from Mexico because the US government issued security alerts on their passports to prevent them from traveling.
The Border Rights Project documents human rights violations committed against asylum seekers at the port-of-entry and inside immigration detention, and the project’s data have been cited by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights First.
I want to know what our Congressional leaders, U.S. Rep. Connolly and Senators Kaine and Warner, can do to ensure the protection of these human rights advocates and to prevent our administration from interfering with organizations that are doing their best to assist both individuals who choose to remain in Mexico and those who wish to seek asylum in the United States.
Sue Gleason
Vienna