On Thursday, the Biden administration announced it will restart the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy after a court order and agreement from the Mexican government.
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying “As required by a federal court order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been working in good faith to re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program”.
“Today, in coordination with the Departments of State and Justice, DHS announced key changes to MPP to address humanitarian concerns raised by the Government of Mexico and shared by the U.S. Government,” it read.
The Migrant Protection Protocols program, which was abolished by the Biden administration earlier this year, required migrants to stay in Mexico while awaiting their hearings for asylum.
During the Trump administration, the policy was heavily criticized for being cruel and putting migrants at risk.
When Missouri and Texas claimed the policy had not been lawfully rescinded by the Biden administration, a federal court order forced the Biden administration to re-implement the program.
Despite restarting the program, the Biden administration is still working to end the policy in a way that wouldn’t be challenged.
Part of the agreement for Mexico includes concluding cases within 6 months, giving migrants opportunities for legal assistance, and providing more information to enrollees. Migrants will also be offered a COVID-19 vaccine.
The New York Post reported that the policy will be enforced at seven ports of entry. These include “San Diego and Calexico in California; Nogales in Arizona; and El Paso, Eagle Pass, Laredo, and Brownsville in Texas”.
While on an interview with “Fox and Friends” Thursday morning, Donald Trump was asked if there was any gratification for him over the court order. Trump responded “No, because I want to see good for the country, Brian. It’s so important to me. I want to see good for the country”.
“There’s no gratification. What they’re doing is destroying our country. Our country is being destroyed before your very eyes, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump added.
