Las Americas Responds to SCOTUS Decision on the Discontinuation of Cruel Trump Era Remain in Mexico Policy

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2022

El Paso, Texas – Today, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Biden administration to terminate the "Remain in Mexico" policy, a shameful Trump policy that turns away vulnerable people and families seeking safety, forcing them to survive in dangerous conditions in Mexico.

Nicolas Palazzo, HIAS Border Fellow and Senior Staff Attorney at Las Americas, released the following statement:

“Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of due process and the human rights of migrants in Biden v. Texas, restoring our immigration system to the rule of law while increasing humane and safe access to asylum for those seeking protection at our borders. 

The Biden administration has the authority to terminate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) or “Remain in Mexico”, a policy in which asylum seekers were forced to fend for themselves in Mexico. Stranded without access to critical resources and social services, asylum seekers under MPP are expelled into a world of violence and lawlesness where the kidnapping, extortion, robbery, gender based violence and murder of migrants are a daily occurence. 

The consequences of Biden v. Texas cannot be understated. This decision will allow thousands of asylum seekers to wait in safety within the United States during their removal proceedings, a longstanding precedent until the Trump Administration implemented this cruel and inhumane program in 2018.

The tragedy of MPP has come to an end but our fight is not over. Despite this important victory, the Biden Administration continues to weaponize immigration policy against asylum seekers through the unlawful expulsion of millions under Title 42. The rapid expulsion of innocent lives to danger contravenes the mission of our work. Las Americas will continue and is fully committed to valuing the human dignity of every migrant seeking protection in our efforts to offer refuge and safety to society’s most vulnerable.”

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