Al Otro Lado v. Trump

There is no legal basis for the government’s decisions to cancel scheduled CBP One appointments or to effectively close ports of entry to people seeking asylum. To the contrary, the government has a statutory obligation to provide access to the U.S. asylum process, including at ports of entry along the southern border. Nothing in the Immigration and Nationality Act or any other source of law permits the government’s asylum shutdown policy. 

The experiences of our individual plaintiffs and those served by our organizational plaintiffs, Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance, underscore the cruelty of the government’s unlawful actions. People seeking protection from persecution - who have the right to a fair process under our laws - are instead being left stranded in perilous conditions in Mexico, with no discernible path to safety. Both Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance, which provide life-saving legal and humanitarian services to people seeking asylum at the border, have seen their operations completely derailed.

The individual plaintiffs in our lawsuit include:

• Maria Doe, a Mexican national, scheduled an appointment through CBP One in hopes of seeking asylum in the United States after suffering a years-long retaliation campaign by a cartel that murdered her family members and continues to target her for testifying against its police collaborators in Mexico. Her appointment was cancelled on January 20, forcing Maria and her husband into hiding, stuck in the country they are desperate to flee.

• Jessica Doe, a Colombian national, scheduled an appointment through CBP One after she was relentlessly pursued by a powerful gang that physically and sexually abused her, threatened her with death, and murdered her loved ones. Jessica made it to Mexico and spent months trying to obtain a CBP One appointment. While waiting for an appointment to become available, Jessica was kidnapped by gang members. She escaped and managed to secure an appointment in February 2025, which was cancelled on January 20. 

• Fernando Doe, a Venezuelan national, scheduled an appointment through CBP One after fleeing political persecution by the Maduro regime, which he fears will imprison or disappear him for his involvement in anti-government protests. On his way through Mexico, Fernando was kidnapped and beaten by a Mexican cartel. After escaping his kidnappers and spending seven months trying, Fernando finally secured a CBP One appointment, which was abruptly cancelled on January 20. While stranded in Mexico, he has been threatened by men whom he believes are connected to the Maduro regime.