Tag: Asylum

June 22

June 22, 2021

The Biden administration is scaling up its dismantlement of MPP, allowing those asylum seekers who had had their cases closed or removed in absentia to come to the U.S. to pursue their original asylum claims. Since February, around 12,000 migrants have been able to enter the U.S. with pending MPP cases, and this change in policy should greatly scale up the number of migrants allowed to pursue their asylum claims from within the U.S. Still, for many asylum seekers, this policy change comes far too late, many migrants under MPP being victims of rape, kidnapping, and assault. The Biden administration has been criticized for its slowness in dismantling MPP and restoring proper access to asylum seekers.

Tags: Asylum, Remain in Mexico

June 20

June 20, 2021

TRAC of Syracuse University released new data revealing a significant slow down in asylum cases being transferred out of MPP and over to U.S. immigration courts. During the month of May, only 1,988 cases were transferred out of MPP, which is down 55% from the 4,476 cases transferred out the previous month. It seems it is becoming more and more difficult to locate and identify the migrants living in border towns who should be allowed entry into the U.S.

(Image Source: TRAC)

Tags: Asylum, Immigration Courts, Remain in Mexico

June 18

June 18, 2021

On Wednesday, June 16th, Attorney General Merrick Garland reversed the Trump-era decision which prevented people from seeking asylum due to credible fear of domestic abuse or mass violence. This decision reinstitutes gang violence and domestic abuse survivors as a special social group which allows them to seek asylum in the U.S. This will affect thousands of migrants, as many domestic abuse and gang violence survivors have immigrated to the U.S. since 2013 and many of those cases are still being adjudicated.

Tags: Asylum, U.S. Policy

May 29

May 29, 2021

The Biden administration announced a plan to fast-track the hearing process for asylum seekers arriving at the southern border. Using a Dedicated Docket process, immigration judges hearing cases in specifically dedicated major cities would decide cases within 300 days of an initial hearing. It is important to note, though, that some migrant advocacy groups worry that prioritizing speed may come at the sacrifice of due process.

Tags: Asylum, Immigration Courts

May 17

May 17, 2021

Due to pressure from advocates and a lawsuit raised by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Biden administration has conceded to narrow changes to Title 42 expulsion policies. These changes include an end to both lateral expulsion flights and late night expulsions. The Biden administration has also agreed to allow up to 250 vulnerable migrants into the U.S. per day, working with a consortium of nongovernmental organizations to identify at-risk migrants. These concessions are meant to buy the Biden administration time before the public health order is fully lifted.

Tags: Asylum, Coronavirus, Expulsions

April 20, 2021

April 20, 2021

Close to 100 migrants expelled across the border into Reynosa walked on to the Hidalgo International Bridge to protest expulsions and to call for the Biden administration to let them in.

Tags: Asylum, Border and Migration Politics

April 12, 2021

April 20, 2021

The Biden administration has flown around 2,000 asylum seekers from Texas to San Diego to be expelled across the border into Tijuana, all of whom are families with children. Many were never given a chance to tell their stories to Border Patrol, and many reported inconsistent and arbitrary decisions made by CBP.

Tags: Asylum, Border Patrol, San Diego

April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021 The Biden administration is considering a proposal to allow asylum cases to be adjudicated by DHS in addition to immigration courts in order to reduce backlog and speed up the process.

Tags: Asylum, Immigration Courts

March 11, 2021

March 16, 2021

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced at a press briefing that the Biden administration is restarting the Central American Minors program, a policy started under Obama that allows minors in Central America to start the asylum process in their country of origin.

Tags: Asylum, Unaccompanied Children

March 5, 2021

March 9, 2021

15,000 of the 25,000 asylum seekers eligible to enter the United States as the Biden administration rolls back the Remain in Mexico program are already in line, according to the UN.  

Tags: Asylum, Remain in Mexico

February 24, 2021

February 26, 2021

UN agencies began processing individuals and families enrolled in the Remain in Mexico program from the Matamoros migrant camp for entry to the United States. Both the US and Mexican governments have asked the UN to aid in the process, and the International Organization for Migration is administering Covid tests to migrants. 

Tags: Asylum, Border and Migration Politics, Remain in Mexico

February 18, 2021

February 26, 2021

A Honduran father and son were among the first Remain in Mexico enrollees to be admitted into the U.S. under the Biden administration. While in Mexico, the father was kidnapped, beaten, and held for ransom.

Tags: Asylum, Remain in Mexico

February 16, 2021

February 26, 2021

Although the Mexican government promised to provide upwards of 3,500 jobs for migrants in the Remain in Mexico program, according to the Mexican Secretary of Labor only 64 were actually employed due partially to the fact that many migrants were never issued work permits.  

Tags: Asylum, Remain in Mexico

February 16, 2021

February 26, 2021

Freezing weather, with temperatures dropping to 25 degrees, has hit a migrant camp in Matamoros where Remain in Mexico enrollees await their turn to enter the United States. 

Tags: Asylum, Rio Grande Valley

February 11, 2021

February 16, 2021

The Biden administration will soon begin admitting migrants enrolled in the Remain in Mexico program. The plan starts slowly at three ports of entry, targets those who still have active cases in US immigration courts, and will be based on the date of enrollment in the program, with exceptions made for especially vulnerable migrants.

Tags: Asylum, Border and Migration Politics, Remain in Mexico, U.S. Policy