Mexico's president clarified on Wednesday that Mexico has not agreed to accept non-Mexican migrants seeking asylum in the United States, in response to the reintroduction of the U.S. "Remain in Mexico" program by President Donald Trump's administration. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Mexico's agreement would be necessary for such asylum-seekers to be accepted and emphasized that Mexico had not granted consent.
She mentioned that her government was providing humanitarian aid to deported migrants of other nationalities and facilitating voluntary repatriation to their home countries.
President Trump's return to the White House on Monday included a commitment to pursuing stringent immigration and border security policies, notably declaring a national emergency at the southern border despite decreased crossings over the past year.
The "Remain in Mexico" program, previously named the Migrant Protection Protocols, was initiated in 2019 under Trump's administration to discourage what officials considered fraudulent asylum claims. Meanwhile, human rights advocates criticized the policy for exposing migrants, particularly families with young children, to risks associated with residing in border encampments susceptible to criminal activities.
Former President Joe Biden terminated the program in 2021, citing the hazardous conditions on the Mexican side of the border. Additionally, President Sheinbaum highlighted a "very cordial" discussion between her Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente and newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding migration and security issues the day before.