Mid-July, 2022

Though a May 23, 2022 District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruling prohibited CBP personnel from using Title 42 to expel asylum-seeking families to places where they will be persecuted or tortured (original link), the practice continues. The Nogales, Arizona-based Kino Border Initiative (KBI) reported the case of a Guatemalan mother and children expelled to Mexico without a chance to seek protection in the United States.

After fleeing Guatemala, Belinda [name changed to protect privacy] and her 3 children asked CBP for access to the asylum process. The agents responded that they would be able to stay in the US and reunite with their family there, but instead, boarded them on a bus to deport them to Mexico. After arriving at the INM (National Migration Institute of Mexico), Belinda begged the officials not to deport her to Guatemala where she would face danger. The migration officer sent 45 people to Hermosillo to begin their deportation, but allowed Belinda to stay, a chance use of discretion that allowed Belinda to narrowly escape a return to danger.

— “July 21 update from KBI” (Nogales: Kino Border Initiative, July 21, 2022).

Sector(s): Tucson

Agency(ies): CBP

Event Type(s): Denial of Protection to Most Vulnerable

Accountability Status:

Victim Classification: Family Unit, Guatemala