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Only 5.3% of asylum-seekers subject to the Migrant Protection Protocols, as the policy is officially known, had lawyers through the end of January, compared with 85% for asylum-seekers nationwide, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
The scarcity of attorneys helps explain why only 4% of Remain in Mexico decisions resulted in asylum, while the nationwide grant rate was 29% during the 2019 fiscal year.
The coronavirus presents more hurdles as lawyers contend with potential exposure in small courtrooms and a ban on nonessential travel to Mexico for least 30 days. The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review has closed many courts but continued with Remain in Mexico hearings.
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