WASHINGTON, D.C. (8/25/2021) - Last night, the Supreme Court refused to block the order of a Texas judge calling for the return of the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program. The program, also known as “Remain in Mexico,” forced more than 70,000 migrants and asylum seekers to wait in deadly conditions in Mexico while seeking to pursue their claims in the United States. The Biden administration had been slowly winding down the program and has now committed to complying in “good faith” with its reimplementation.
Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), stated the following in response:
“No iteration of ‘Remain in Mexico’ is compatible with the right to asylum or U.S. obligations under domestic and international law. The Biden Administration must take every step possible to protect those seeking safety at our borders. The Supreme Court’s decision threatens to place thousands of migrants and asylum seekers in danger. Federal courts and civil society organizations, including NIJC, have documented the irreversible harm to people subjected to this unlawful policy. We call on the Biden administration to take all measures legally available to bring this horrific record to bear and achieve termination of this inhumane program.”
NIJC joined 107 other organizations in sending a letter urging the Biden administration to re-terminate MPP and not re-implement it in any form, stop expulsions under Title 42, and restore access to asylum at our southern border.