Federal Judge has ordered President Joe Biden’s Administration to reinstate the “remain in Mexico” policy of his Republican predecessor. This policy forced thousands of Central American asylum seekers to wait in Mexico to be heard in U.S. courts.
The suit was won by the Texas and Missouri states. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, U.S. District Court Judge, stated that the Biden administration violated procedural laws by failing to take into account “several main benefits” and acting “arbitrarily” to end it.
A Biden administration memo announcing a formal end to the policy was circulated June 1. It was unclear how the ruling would affect that decision. The policy was established by former President Donald Trump in early 2019.
Kacsmaryk was a Trump appointee and he stayed his decision for a whole week to give the Biden administration time to appeal. A request for comment was not received by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy sought to block asylum seekers from Central America by making them wait in Mexico for the outcome of their U.S. asylum hearings.
Defenders of the policy said it reduced pressure on overburdened immigration officials; human rights groups said it violated due process and exposes destitute refugees and their families to abuse, kidnap, and rape.
