When: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 2:30 p.m MT
Where: Law Office of Carlos Spector, 1430 E. Yandell Drive, El Paso, Texas 79902

At a press conference today, the Hope Border Institute will join the Borderland Immigration Council and Mexicanos en Exilio in denouncing the detention and denial of parole to Martín Méndez Pineda, a 25 year old journalist from Acapulco, Guerrero. Martín arrived to an El Paso port of entry seeking asylum after having received death threats and police beatings for writing reports critical of the Mexican federal police in the Acapulco daily, Novedades. Following the threats and beatings, the respected human rights organization Reporters Without Borders determined that Martín's life was at risk and had counseled him to seek asylum in the US.

The recent denial by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of Martin’s parole request signals the alarming trend in border enforcement towards the inhumane, criminalization of the asylum process as well as a blanket policy of imprisoning Mexican refugees fleeing state violence. This follows increasing violence against Mexican journalists, which recently resulted in the tragic murder of Miroslava Breach Velducea, a well-known Chihuahua journalist as well as yesterday's announcement of the closure of the El Norte de Cd. Juarez, the daily newspaper in Ciudad Juárez. Mexico is now one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.

Martín's ongoing detention by immigration authorities is just another example of the recent ramping up of policies and practices by ICE in West Texas that have resulted in increased detention, deportation, family separation and the discouragement of asylum seekers. These trends have been documented by human rights organizations, including Human Rights First, and by the Hope Border Institute and the Borderland Immigration Council in the groundbreaking report, Discretion to Deny.