A lawsuit filed by Texas and Missouri forced the Biden administration to bring back a Trump Era policy that requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico for the chance to enter the United States starting this week.
President Joe Biden scrapped the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), informally known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy during his first day in office 11 months ago, which impacted approximately 70,000 asylum-seekers since its introduction in 2019. Individuals waiting for asylum were subject to many legal obstacles and victims of major crimes.
One unidentified border city at several locations including San Diego and Calexico will host migrants who are expected to return. Migrants from any country in the Western Hemisphere will be eligible to be enrolled in MPP. Those from Haiti were excluded in the last iteration as Mexico accepted migrants from only Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil.
Mexico demanded several adjustments in the reinstatement of this policy, including requiring all migrants to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Adults are slated to receive Johnson & Johnson which requires one shot, and children will receive Pfizer. Eligible children will receive a second dose upon arrival for their first hearing in the U.S.
The Justice Department is assigning 22 immigration judges to work on the cases in order to complete cases within 180 days. Individuals seeking asylum can meet with attorneys before each hearing. According to the Migration Policy Institute, Many migrants with pending cases had not had a hearing since at least March 2020, when MPP hearings were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immigration and border experts say up to 20,000 people are expected to return to Mexico in the coming months with the reinstatement of the policy. The policy notes that “vulnerable” populations should be exempt, including unaccompanied children, pregnant women, physically or mentally ill people, older people, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ community.
The Migration Policy Institute notes approximately 68,000 migrants were enrolled within the MMP’s two-year lifespan. This policy was announced as one of many designed to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S southern border.
