U.S. appeals judge’s order reviving Trump ‘remain in Mexico’ program

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday appealed a federal judge’s order to restore a controversial immigration program that forced tens of thousands of migrants to move to Mexico to resolve their U.S. asylum cases wait.

The Biden administration appealed the decision to the conservative 5th Court of Appeals after a Texas-based judge on Friday overturned the government’s decision to end the program known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP).

Launched in 2019 under former President Donald Trump, the MPP program sparked objections from immigrant rights groups and Democrats who said it forced migrants to wait in dangerous conditions in Mexico and undermined the possibility of asylum in the United States apply for. The Biden government suspended the program in February and has since allowed approximately 13,000 enrolled migrants to enter the United States to pursue their cases.

Biden’s decision to end the program – known informally as “staying in Mexico” – was an early and significant political victory that energized its supporters and underscored his avowed commitment to a more humane immigration system. Republicans criticized the move, saying ending MPP and other restrictive Trump policies would encourage more illegal immigration.

In the months that followed, the number of migrants caught crossing the US-Mexico border rose to a 20-year high, a development that was immediately picked up by Republicans. Continue reading

The states of Texas and Missouri filed a lawsuit against Biden’s decision to end the MPP program in April, saying it was “inexplicable and inexplicable”.

U.S. District Court judge Matthew Kacsmaryk said Friday that the Biden administration had failed to follow due regulatory process in terminating the program and ordering the restart. Continue reading

However, Trump-appointed Kacsmaryk held out his decision to appeal to the Biden administration for a week.

Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Adaptation by Ross Colvin and Aurora Ellis