DHS formally rescinds 'remain in Mexico' policy for migrants seeking asylum

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has formally rescinded the "remain in Mexico" policy for migrants seeking asylum enacted during the Trump administration.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has formally terminated the Migrant Protection Policy (MPP), also known as the "remain in Mexico" policy, first enacted in 2019 by the Trump administration. DHS in January suspended all new MPP enrollments. "I have determined that MPP does not adequately or sustainably enhance border management in such a way as to justify the program’s extensive operational burdens and other shortfalls," Mayorkas wrote in a memo addressed to the acting ICE director. "During the course of the program, border encounters increased during certain periods and decreased during others. Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders." Mayorkas said MPP was intended to expedite the backlog of cases but ultimately the speed in which migrants were removed did not match the conditions they were facing on the Mexican side of the border.