Significance A fundamental but unresolved question in directional cell migration is how a migrating cell forms only one leading edge. Here we study the activation and inhibition of an evolutionarily conserved MIG-13/LRP12-Arp2/3 signaling pathway that guides Caenorhabditis elegans neuroblast migration. We show that a tyrosine kinase SRC-1 directly phosphorylates MIG-13 and promotes its activity on actin assembly at the leading edge. SRC-1 and MIG-13 distribute along the entire plasma membrane, and a receptor-like tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-3, dephosphorylates SRC-1–dependent MIG-13 phosphorylation and accumulates at the rear to prevent ectopic actin polymerization. We discover that the asymmetrically localized tyrosine phosphatase spatially restricts receptor activity, thereby inhibiting ectopic polarization and secondary fronts in migrating cells.