Urgent Action: Mother and son separated by border authorities
In March, Valquiria, a 39-year-old woman (US immigration case file no. ###-###-418) and her seven-year-old son fled Brazil and requested protection at the US–Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. Valquiria said that she received repeated death threats from drug traffickers who said they would kill her and her son no matter where they fled to in Brazil. On 17 March, after one night together in detention, US border authorities forcibly separated them without giving any reason, and transferred Valquiria to a detention facility called El Paso Processing Center.
Take action
Please write immediately in English or your own language to US authorities:
- Urging them to immediately grant Valquiria humanitarian parole while she awaits the decision on her asylum claim appeal, as parole should be granted for humanitarian reasons where the person does not pose a threat to public safety and presents no flight risk;
- Calling on them to provide psychosocial support to Valquiria and her son, to help them recover from the trauma experienced from their unlawful family separation;
- Calling on them to ensure asylum seekers are only detained when necessary and proportionate in the individual case, and to grant humanitarian parole to all asylum seekers whenever possible.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 5 DECEMBER 2018 TO:
ICE Field Office Director
Marc Moore
Ice Enforcement & Removal Operations, El Paso Field Office
11541 Montana Ave Suite E
El Paso, TX, 79936, USA
Email: Marc.J.Moore@ice.dhs.gov
Salutation: Mr. Moore
Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Cameron Quinn
US Department of Homeland Security
Building 410, Mail Stop #0190
Washington, DC 20528, USA
Email: crcl@dhs.go
Salutation: Mr. Quinn
And copies to:
(Acting) ICE Director
Ronald D. Vitiello
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
500 12th St SW, Washington DC 20536
Email: ronald.d.vitiello@ice.dhs.gov
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
HIS EXCELLENCY WOODY JOHNSON, U.S. Embassy London, 33 Nine Elms Lane, SW11 7US, Phone: (0)20 7499-9000
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.