President Donald Trump has taken steps towards fulfilling yet another promise he made on the campaign trail: reinstating his controversial Migrant Protection Protocols. Most commonly referred to as the “Remain in Mexico” program, the policy requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico, not the United States, while their cases are pending in immigration court. The policy denies the fundamental right of seeking asylum by failing to provide potential asylees with protection while awaiting the government’s decision.
Due to the Remain in Mexico program, asylum seekers are forced into dire conditions while waiting for their cases to be heard in immigration court. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a 2021 Biden-era explanation for terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols, there are “widespread” reports of potential asylees being targeted by criminal organizations due to their status and lack of support. The DHS also reported that those forced to wait in Mexico faced barriers in “accessing stable and safe housing, health care and other services, and sufficient food” for themselves and their families.
Despite these obvious human rights concerns, the Trump administration is moving forward with plans to restore the Remain in Mexico program. Trump and other Republican lawmakers argue that the program is necessary to decrease migrant numbers; however, it does nothing to fix the true issues within the immigration system. The Remain in Mexico program fails to meet the needs of those at the border, and does not address the extensive backlog of asylum cases waiting to be heard. Furthermore, the program subjects asylum seekers to dangerous living conditions while they await a decision, endangering their lives while they seek safety.
Discourse surrounding the Remain in Mexico program highlights the intersection of politics and morality within the immigration debate. The program lessens the number of migrants in the country, but is that really worth putting vulnerable individuals at a greater risk for harm? Asylum seekers are human beings with certain inalienable rights, a fact that the Remain in Mexico program disregards in the name of security.
