Mexico opposes restart of ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

The Mexican government announced on Monday its opposition to a potential restart of the U.S. immigration policy which has been dubbed “Remain in Mexico.”  The crux of the policy is that asylum seekers must remain in Mexico until their hearing date arrives.

President Joe Biden spoke of his desire to terminate the program, which was rolled out by his predecessor, Donald Trump.  The policy is currently suspended.

Southern states such as Texas and Missouri have filed a lawsuit to relaunch the policy and in December a U.S. judge paused Biden’s attempt to end it, ruling that the Department of Homeland Security has failed to provide a suitable explanation as to why it has failed and should be ended.

Mexico’s foreign ministry did not confirm its reasons for opposing the bill. Activists have said that the policy, which is officially called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), leaves migrants in limbo in cities where kidnapping and extortion remain a constant threat.

If the Mexican government does not back down on its stance, U.S. officials would have to look into whether asylum seekers can stay in the United States while their claims are evaluated or whether alternative arrangements can be made to deport them.

Marsha Espinosa, who is a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, released a statement to Reuters on Monday stating that the Biden Administration will continue their efforts to terminate MPP.

“Our ability to implement MPP pursuant to court order has always been contingent on the government of Mexico’s willingness to accept returns under MPP,” Espinosa said.

The Biden administration has been looking at different avenues including program which would allow some Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to enter through an appointment system.

US officials stated that this program has had a degree of success as migrants arriving those countries caught crossing the border dropped off sharply from December to January.

Human rights groups have urged the Biden administration to add more countries to this program.

“The migration issue over the last year – particularly for young people – is alarming,” said Flor Haro, who is president of Ecuador’s Family Without Borders Foundation.