LOS ANGELES—Following two months of pressure from immigrant communities and advocates, the Biden administration is moving to follow through on its campaign promise to end the Remain in Mexico policy (also known as MPP) with a new memo issued today. Since its implementation by the Trump administration in 2019, Remain in Mexico has stranded tens of thousands of asylum seekers in dangerous and inhumane conditions in Mexico while awaiting their immigration court hearings in the U.S.
Below is a statement from Karen Tumlin, founder and director of Justice Action Center:
“Legal service providers and advocates along the U.S.-Mexico border have been sounding the alarm on the human rights atrocities perpetuated by Remain in Mexico for years, and the Biden administration, after a two-month delay, has indicated today that it is listening. The memo is comprehensive and makes clear that Remain in Mexico should have never been in effect.
“However, we will judge success here not only by the strength of new memos, but also in how they translate into actionable relief for people fleeing persecution. Today’s memo opens the door to the possibility of real safety—but the work is to get to that result as quickly as possible, because any day with Remain in Mexico intact is a day too many.
“I am encouraged that the Department of Justice today took the first legal steps in court necessary to end to the Remain in Mexico program once and for all. I urge the DOJ to continue to use every legal tool at its disposal to make that a reality.
“Finally, the administration must move swiftly to process endangered asylum seekers currently stranded in Mexico due to MPP, as well as undo hundreds of cases of unaccompanied children who should be exempt from the policy, but having been previously processed through Remain in Mexico with their families, were denied the same rights and protections as other unaccompanied minors. It also must get rid of Title 42, another policy continued since the Trump administration, that has resulted in the expulsion of thousands of asylum seekers.”
Justice Action Center is engaged in active litigation on Remain in Mexico and other issues affecting families hurt by draconian border policies. Our clients and allies have long documented the human suffering caused by the toxic combination of Remain in Mexico and Title 42. Read more about these cases here.
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Justice Action Center (JAC) is a new nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. JAC is committed to bringing additional litigation resources to address unmet needs, empower clients, and change the corrosive narrative around immigrants in the U.S. Learn more at justiceactioncenter.org.
