Biden to begin allowing migrants forced to wait in Mexico to enter U.S. – By Shawna Chen (Axios) / Feb 12 2021
The Biden administration will soon slowly begin allowing asylum seekers forced to wait in Mexican border towns under former President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy to enter the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
Why it matters: President Biden has promised to end the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols program, as it is formally called, which forced tens of thousands of migrants into dangerous, squalid conditions in Mexico as they awaited court proceedings. DHS estimates that there are about 25,000 migrants in the MPP program who have active immigration court cases.
Details: Beginning Feb. 19, the Biden administration will begin “phase one of a program to restore safe and orderly processing at the southwest border,” DHS said.
- According to administration officials, DHS and the Justice Department will work with the Mexican government and international organizations to identify migrants with active cases and help them virtually register for processing at three yet to be announced ports of entry.
