US extends ‘Stay in Mexico’ immigration program in San Diego

San Diego. Nearly a month after reactivating the El Paso, Texas, Border Protection Program (MPP) protocols that force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings on US immigration, the US government has expanded to include policies in San Diego, California and the Trump era. Pursuant to a federal court order.

Democratic President Joe Biden attempted to overturn his predecessor Donald Trump’s policy, also known as ‘stay in Mexico’, shortly after taking office last January.

But after filing a lawsuit against Texas and Missouri, a federal judge ruled that he should be reinstated. Biden restarted the show on December 6 in El Paso, Texas.

On Monday, 36 immigrants were referred to that county’s immigration court, officials said, in its first hearing under the reinstated program.

Last week, the government asked the US Supreme Court whether it needed to continue implementing the program. Under the policy, implemented by former President Trump, migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border to seek asylum must wait in Mexico until their cases are resolved, rather than being allowed to wait for their hearings in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas said in October that Trump’s program had “chronic flaws” and “unexplained human costs.”

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has called for the programme, saying it puts asylum seekers at risk and harms their due process rights.