WASHINGTON, Jan 21 - The Trump administration announced on Tuesday the reinstatement of the "remain in Mexico" program. This initiative requires non-Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while awaiting the resolution of their U.S. cases.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the program would be resumed immediately, years after it was terminated by former President Joe Biden.
Donald Trump, who returned to the presidency on Monday, committed to advancing policies from his previous term, such as the reinstatement of what was formerly known as the Migrant Protection Protocols.
Initiated in 2019 during Trump's first term, the program aimed to deter what officials deemed as fraudulent asylum claims, although critics argue it put vulnerable migrants, including families with young children, at risk.
Biden ended the "remain in Mexico" program in 2021, citing concerns about the poor and hazardous conditions asylum seekers faced on the Mexican side of the border. The Trump administration claimed that ongoing legal disputes over Biden's termination of the program paved the way for a swift reinstatement.
When asked about the possible restart of the "remain in Mexico" program earlier in the day, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed a commitment to addressing the needs of migrants in a humane manner, while also affirming plans for repatriating foreign migrants to their home countries.