Amnesty International Global Delegation to Brief Press During Mission to U.S. Southern Border

A global delegation of Amnesty International country directors will brief press on its mission to monitor the impact of anti-asylum policies at the border, including the so-called ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, and its recent expansion through the construction of secretive tent courts that hear hundreds of asylum cases remotely each day. The delegation will be in Brownsville, TX on Friday, October 25, taking questions and briefing press by conference call at 11AM CT. They will have previously met with the consul general of Mexico in San Diego, the National Commission of Human Rights in Tijuana, visited shelters in Tijuana and San Diego for those impacted by the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, met with nongovernmental organizations and United Nations agencies on both sides of the border, and met with legal aid providers and toured an Office of Refugee Resettlement shelter for unaccompanied children in Brownsville. On Saturday, October 26, the delegation will cross the U.S.-Mexico border into Matamoros, Mexico, to speak with families and others who have been affected by the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.

Amnesty International has previously documented the range of human rights violations committed by the U.S. government against people seeking asylum at the Mexico/U.S. border. In 2018, Amnesty International concluded that Mexico is not a safe country for asylum-seekers, and that people in need of protection are routinely subject to detention and deportation there. Amnesty International has filed an amicus brief in a case challenging the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, under which the U.S. government forces people to stay in Mexico while they ask for asylum in the U.S. Amnesty has also spoken out against the most recent asylum ban, which prevents people who have  traveled through third countries on their way to seek safety in the U.S. from asylum eligibility here. Amnesty has called new asylum agreements with Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala a mockery of the right to seek asylum. This will be Amnesty’s second time seeking access to the secretive ‘port courts’ in Brownsville, Texas, following similar attempts in September.

Those wishing to call in must RSVP to Mariya Parodi at [email protected]. International lines will be available. Please let us know where you are calling from, if outside the U.S.

WHAT: Briefing by international delegation of Amnesty International country directors during mission to U.S.-Mexico border

WHEN: Friday, October 25, 2019, 11:00 AM CT

HOW: Please RSVP to Mariya Parodi at [email protected] for call-in information

WHO:

• Margaret Huang, executive director, Amnesty International USA
• Tania Reneaum, executive director, Amnesty International Mexico
• Alex Neve, secretary general, Amnesty International Canada
• Gabriel Sakellaridis, executive director, Amnesty International Greece
• Irungu Houghton, executive director, Amnesty International Kenya
• Kate Allen, executive director, Amnesty International UK
• Charanya Krishnaswami, advocacy director for the Americas, Amnesty International USA

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Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.