Council Sues Government to Compel Release of Records about ‘Remain in Mexico' Program

This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeks to uncover information about the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP)—also known as the "Remain in Mexico" program.

The suit seeks records about the implementation of the program after multiple Department of Homeland Security agencies failure to respond to FOIA requests submitted on December 21, 2019.

MPP has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, compelling thousands of people to live in camps along the border in dangerous and squalid conditions as they await their asylum hearing. The FOIA suit is a way to pursue agency accountability as plaintiffs seek to understand the impact of the MPP on uniquely vulnerable asylum seekers. As challenges to MPP continue to wind through the courts, it is critically important that we have a full picture of how the program has been designed and implemented.

The American Immigration Council, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Human Rights Watch, and the law firm Winston & Strawn LLP filed this lawsuit in the U.S. Northern District of California.