The Biden Administration has formally ended the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy — formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) — which mandated that asylum seekers stay in Mexico for their court hearings in the United States, according to a Department of Homeland Security memo.
“I have determined that MPP does not adequately or sustainably enhance border management in such a way as to justify the program’s extensive operational burdens and other shortfalls,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wrote in a memo to agency heads.
“Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders,” he added.
The news was first reported by Reuters.
Critics said that the program subjected countless asylum seekers to kidnapping, extortion and violence in Mexico border cities where gangs wield tremendous power, calling it reckless and inhumane.
Advocates cheered the decision, including the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a lawsuit along with other groups to challenge the policy when it was first implemented in 2019.
“This is a huge victory,” Judy Rabinovitz, ACLU attorney and lead counsel in the MPP challenge, said in a statement. “The forced return policy was cruel, depraved, and illegal, and we are glad that it has finally been rescinded.”
The move makes good on a promise President Joe Biden made on the campaign trail, ending the program that the Trump administration said was critical to their border control policy. Biden has reversed a number of his predecessor’s restrictive immigration policies.
Biden paused the program in January shortly after taking office in January. In an executive order issued in February, the president called for officials to review the policy and determine whether to terminate or modify it.
A DHS official told Reuters that more than 11,000 migrants in the program have been allowed into the country to pursue their asylum claims since Biden’s pause.
The ACLU called on the Biden Administration to ensure “that everyone who has been subjected to this policy can now pursue their asylum cases in the United States, in safety and without additional trauma or delay” and “swiftly move to dismantle the Trump administration’s other attacks on the asylum system.”
Mayorkas wrote that they are considering “other tools the Department may utilize to address future migration flows in a manner that is consistent with the Administration’s values and goals,” and believes that terminating the program will improve the United States’ relationship with the Mexican government.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
