
The Trump administration has said it is reviving the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which was suspended under former President Joe Biden.
Key Insights
- The Trump administration says it is reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy to increase border security.
- Critics argue the policy endangers vulnerable migrants, while supporters believe it can play an important role in managing immigration levels.
- Legal challenges are expected from advocacy groups like the ACLU.
- Biden’s administration faced legal pushback for suspending the policy.
Policy Reinstatement
President Trump is reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which requires certain asylum seekers arriving at the southern border to wait in Mexico while their immigration cases proceed in U.S. courts. The Department of Homeland Security announced this decision, aligning with Trump’s campaign promises to increase border security and curb unauthorized immigration.
This decision is a reactivation of a policy initially implemented by the Trump administration in 2019, which has since faced various legal and social challenges.
During its original enforcement, approximately 70,000 migrants were affected, with reports indicating they often found themselves living in poor conditions along the Mexican border. The policy aims to address false asylum claims and reduce the flow of illegal immigration into the United States.
Trump administration says it is reinstating 'remain in Mexico' program https://t.co/QKi0S8aWGY
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) January 22, 2025
Legal Battles and Debate
The policy has drawn significant criticism from those arguing it subjects migrants to potentially hazardous living conditions and exposes them to criminal elements. Meanwhile, supporters of the program argue that the policy helps manage immigration levels and enhances national security.
Advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are preparing to contest the policy in court. The ACLU has criticized the policy as ineffective in addressing the real needs at the border, stating, “These policies do not offer any solutions to improve border processing or address asylum and immigration court backlogs and are not an effective way to improve our immigration court system or address real needs at the border.”
Previous Supreme Court Intervention
During the Biden administration, the policy faced suspension, only to be reinstated following a court order. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Biden had the authority to end the policy but referred the case to lower courts for further examination. Eventually, another federal judge ruled that Biden couldn’t end the program, but did not require the administration to enforce the policy. This legal back-and-forth highlights the contentious nature of the MPP.
Sources
- Trump reinforces use of his ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy
- Trump revives ‘remain in Mexico’ policy as part of anti-immigration crackdown
- DHS Reinstates ‘Remain in Mexico’ Program