MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department refused to say Wednesday whether the government will allow the U.S. to reinstate the “remain in Mexico” policy of sending asylum seekers back across the border to wait for hearings on asylum claims.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused Tuesday to block a lower court ruling ordering the administration of President Joe Biden to reinstate the Trump-era policy of forcing people to wait in Mexico for hearings on asylum claims.
Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, said the court ruling is not binding on Mexico. He stressed that Mexico’s “immigration policy is designed and executed in a sovereign manner.”
“The Mexican government will start technical discussions with the U.S. government to evaluate how to handle safe, orderly and regulated immigration on the border,” Velasco said.
Mexico is not legally obligated to receive returning migrants who are not Mexican citizens, and most of the asylum seekers are not.
But President Andrés Manuel López Obrado has had good relations with the U.S. government on immigration matters and has willingly cooperated in blocking migrant caravans and deporting migrants trying to reach the U.S. border. López Obrador allowed the U.S. to implement the first version of the remain in Mexico policy under President Donald Trump.
It’s not clear how many people will be affected by the Supreme Court ruling and how quickly. Under the lower court ruling, the administration must make a “good faith effort” to restart the program.
There also is nothing preventing the Biden administration from trying again to end the program, formally called Migrant Protection Protocols.
During Trump’s presidency, the policy required tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to turn back to Mexico. It was meant to discourage asylum seekers, but critics said it denied people the legal right to seek protection in the U.S. and forced them to wait in dangerous Mexican border cities.
During the Trump administration, the Mexican government said it was cooperating with the program for humanitarian reasons.
Although migrants were granted humanitarian visas to stay in Mexico until they had their U.S. hearings, they often had to wait in dangerous areas controlled by cartels, leaving them vulnerable to being kidnapped, assaulted, raped or even killed. Others were transported by bus to parts of southern Mexico or “invited” to return to their home countries.
Mexico technically could block the program by refusing to accept migrants asked to stay in Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols. But analysts like Tonatiuh Guillén, former head of Mexico’s migration agency, consider that unlikely given the country’s history of cooperation with the U.S.
Guillén said Mexican officials will probably go along even though the country doesn’t have sufficient resources to deal with an influx of asylum seekers at the border and nonprofit shelters south of the border are overwhelmed.
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Build The Wall!
Better still, BUILD A Massive (100ft wide, 300 ft DEEP) ditch, along the entire border’s length!
Wonder how many millions oops billions Mexico will get to keep the illegal invaders there. No matter what the amount is, bet most of the money will go into the pockets of the Mexican government and/or cartels.
They shouldn’t get a single bloody penny.. CUT ALL AID to them, period.
Mexico is not legally obligated to receive returning migrants who are not Mexican citizens, and most of the asylum seekers are not.
First problem is that Joe bin Biden is weak and pathetic and will kow to anyone now.
Secondly the Mexicans allow these people though their country as long as they have USA or bust signs on them.
Cut off Mexico from all US aid.
SINCE most probably goes to the CORRUPTOCRATS in charge, or the cartels, WE SHOULD CUT ALL AID ANYWAY!
Send them back anyway. The one’s who aren’t mexican citizens came to mexico with the express purpose of coming across our Southern border. mexico should be stopping them from coming to mexico in the first place. Most of them, given the choice of waiting in mexico, or going home, will return home. Don’t let mexico decide ANYTHING. Send them back across the border.
Hell, FLY THEM To the southern most point of the SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT< and leave them there!!!!