FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022
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Spencer Tilger
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IRAP RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT DECISION RULING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CAN END REMAIN IN MEXICO POLICY
(New York, NY) – Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled on the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as “Remain in Mexico,” a policy which requires asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in dangerous conditions in Mexico while their asylum claims are adjudicated. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration’s decision to rescind the Trump-era program does not violate the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) has opposed Remain in Mexico since the program was first implemented by the Trump administration. IRAP joined an amicus brief in Biden v. Texas and filed a separate brief with the Mexican Supreme Court as part of parallel legal efforts in the U.S. and Mexico to end the policy.
IRAP Policy Director, Sunil Varghese, responded to the announcement:
“Today’s decision is an important victory in the years-long effort to end the Remain in Mexico policy once and for all. When migrants flee violence and persecution and ask for asylum at the border, the United States has a legal and moral obligation to hear their claims and offer them protection. However, Remain in Mexico and similar policies like Title 42 force migrants back into danger and make it nearly impossible for them to access the asylum system.
Cruel deterrence-based border policies do not address the root causes of forced displacement, they just make it more dangerous for people to seek safety or reunite with their families. As we grieve the horrific deaths of at least 53 migrants in San Antonio, Texas, ending inhumane policies like Remain in Mexico is key to preventing future tragedies from occurring. With today’s ruling, the Biden administration should move swiftly to end Remain in Mexico and Title 42, and restore full access to asylum at the border.”
Additional Information:
- Learn more about IRAP’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program: HERE
- Read the U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief signed by IRAP and more than 70 partner organizations: HERE
- Read IRAP’s amicus brief challenging the “Remain in Mexico” policy in the Mexican Supreme Court: HERE
- Read IRAP’s August 2021 statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy: HERE
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