‘Remain’ policy to resume

Mex OKs immig deal

The Biden administration will resume the Remain in Mexico policy on Monday after reaching an agreement with Mexico, the US Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

The DHS said the decision to bring back the policy — which requires migrants seeking asylum at the southern border to wait in Mexico until their cases can be heard — followed the Mexican government’s “independent decision” to accept such migrants.

The agreement was first reported by The Washington Post.

The new policy iteration will be enforced at seven ports of entry — San Diego and Calexico in California; Nogales in Arizona; and El Paso, Eagle Pass, Laredo and Brownsville in Texas.

One official told The Washington Post that temporary “tent courts” were being set up in Brownsville and Laredo but will likely not be ready to hold asylum hearings until next week.

One official told the paper that the renewed version of Remain in Mexico will be “fairly close to the previous version” enforced under the Trump administration.

One change is the offering of COVID-19 vaccines to all eligible migrants, as well as a vaccination requirement to re-enter the US.

The Biden administration reportedly still plans to use its Title 42 public-health authority to rapidly expel illegal border crossers on the grounds that they pose a potential COVID-19 risk.

Other changes include a commitment by the DHS to complete proceedings within six months of a person’s return to Mexico, as well as provide them opportunities to secure legal counsel.

The US plans to use the program for single adults rather than unaccompanied minors or those with a criminal history or who are wanted by the US or Mexico.

Under the deal, Mexico will take in asylum claimants from countries in the Western Hemisphere but limit the numbers coming from non-Spanish-speaking nations.

President Biden had suspended the Remain in Mexico policy hours after taking office in January. At the beginning of June, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a memo formally ending the protocols.

But in August, a Texas federal judge ruled that the administration must make a “good faith” effort to enforce the policy until it had been properly rescinded and immigration officials had enough space to hold all detained illegal immigrants.

On Thursday, press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the administration’s view that the program is “deeply flawed” and said the DHS was merely “abiding by a court ruling” rather than changing it policy.

“There are some key changes and exemptions the Department of Homeland Security announced this morning and could speak to, but our view of the program has not changed. We’re working to implement [it] under the court order,” she said.

According to the DHS, the new policy will remain in place until the injunction issued by the judge is terminated.