RT.com
25 Nov 2021, 05:42 GMT+10
President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly poised to resume sending asylum seekers back to Mexico, complying with a federal court order to restore a key immigration policy of ex-President Donald Trump.
Expulsions under the "Remain in Mexico" program will resume as early as next week, media outlet Axios reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified government officials. Migrants will be forced to wait in Mexico while waiting months or years for immigration court hearings to determine whether they will be granted asylum in the US.
The move is contrary to a campaign promise by Biden, as "Remain in Mexico" was among the Trump-era border policies that the new administration has condemned as "cruel," but a federal judge ruled in August that the government must reinstate the program. Trump implemented the policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), in 2019 to help reduce migrant flows.
Axios noted that Biden will tweak MPP by offering Covid-19 vaccinations to all adult migrants who are sent back to Mexico under the program. All affected asylum seekers will be offered the free jabs, but none will be required to take them, according to the report.
Even as the administration prepares to comply with the court order, it's taking steps to again cancel MPP. US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month issued a new memorandum scrapping the policy in hopes that unlike an earlier order, it will pass legal muster.
Despite the fact that the administration is apparently complying with the court order begrudgingly, activist groups have criticized Biden for failing to keep his pledge to treat migrants more humanely. "Trump 2.0 policies at the border are a recipe for continued cruelty, disorder and violations of refugee law," Human Rights First senior director Eleanor Acer said in October. "The Biden administration must honor its promise to terminate this horrific program."
US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last week accused Mayorkas of "slow-walking and refusing to comply" with the court order on MPP. Mayorkas replied that the administration is implementing the order "in good faith" and can't reinstate the program without negotiating an agreement ensuring cooperation by Mexico's government.
READ MORE: Americans disapprove of Biden's plan to pay compensation to migrant families - polls
With Biden weakening enforcement efforts at the border, Cruz said, illegal border crossings have surged to a 61-year high in 2021 after plunging to a 45-year low under Trump in 2020.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Mexico Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Mexico Star.
More InformationNEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
Fuel is only one of so many problems when death, destruction and displacement are being reported daily, as hopes for a possible ceasefire...
Representatives of women's organizations and networks that were part of the first delegation of gender experts at the talks in Havana...
(250710) -- LATAKIA (SYRIA), July 10, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken with a mobile phone on July 10, 2025 shows burned trees in province...
Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 10 (ANI): Heavy and continuous rainfall across Tripura has triggered severe flooding in South Tripura...
Dispur (Assam) [India], July 10 (ANI): The Assam cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal to enhance the remuneration of Gaon Pradhans...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...
MOSCOW, Russia: Just hours after his sudden dismissal by President Vladimir Putin, Russia's former transport minister, Roman Starovoit,...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...