Biden to Restore ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy at the Border

The Joe Biden administration is working with the Mexican government to provide better immigrant access to legal counsel for asylum seekers and exemptions, should they agree to resume the Migrant Protection Protocols established by the Trump administration.

Biden to Restore ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy at the Border

The Joe Biden administration is prepared to reimplement the Donald Trump-era border policy known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) in mid-November if the Mexican government agrees to accept the return of asylum seekers to its territory, reports the Washington Post. MPP cannot resume without Mexico’s consent, and administration officials said they are taking steps to address the concerns of the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador by setting up better access to legal counsel for asylum seekers and exemptions for vulnerable migrants.

Biden officials told reporters Title 42 will remain the primary enforcement mechanism for illegal border crossings, regardless of whether Mexico allows for the reimplementation of MPP. Biden’s version of MPP would seek to complete asylum case processing within six months, the officials said, using temporary courts in tent facilities set up at the same border crossings in Brownsville and Laredo, Tex., used by the Trump administration. Their planned restart of the program will prioritize “making sure individuals are treated humanely,” one official said.