A resolution to urge the President of the United States to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico program, for processing migrants, including asylum-seekers, attempting to enter the United States from Mexico.
The resolution emphasizes that the reinstatement of the Remain in Mexico program would help secure the southern border by reducing the flow of unauthorized migration, thereby addressing national security concerns. The plight of Border Patrol agents dealing with record numbers of migrant encounters, which surpassed two million in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, illustrates the urgency of the situation as immigration authorities struggle to manage these figures without adequate resources for detaining every migrant. The intent of the resolution is to call for a policy that is believed to have previously contributed to a decrease in apprehensions along the border.
House Resolution 283 urges the President of the United States to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, colloquially known as the Remain in Mexico program, which was implemented during the Trump Administration to address illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. This resolution asserts that the program is crucial for managing the increasing number of migrants attempting to enter the United States, particularly asylum-seekers. When the program was active, it allowed individuals seeking asylum to remain in Mexico while their immigration cases were processed in the U.S. immigration courts, which effectively deterred non-meritorious claims and reduced the backlog of asylum cases.
There is a notable contention surrounding the reinstatement of the Remain in Mexico program. Critics argue that such policies undermine the ability of asylum seekers to gain legitimate entry into the United States by forcing them to wait in potentially dangerous conditions in Mexico. Furthermore, the Biden Administration had made efforts to terminate the program upon taking office, citing concerns over its humanitarian impacts. The ongoing legal challenges regarding the decision to end the program also indicate a complex landscape of immigration policy that is fraught with legal, ethical, and security dilemmas, resulting in a polarized discourse on how best to handle migration crises.