The United States on Monday, January 3rd, expanded the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) border program to San Diego, California.
The Biden administration restarted the program in early December in El Paso, Texas. This Monday, 36 migrants were brought to the El Paso immigration court to have their hearings under the reinstated program.
Migrants will now be enrolled in the San Diego sector in addition to El Paso.
The big picture: The administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene to allow them to end what’s formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which forces asylum seekers at the southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases are heard.
- More than 200 migrants have been already returned to Mexico since a court forced the policy’s reimplementation last month.
- Officials highlighted attempts to make the program more humanitarian compared to when it was first enforced under President Trump, including providing better access to legal counsel both before being sent back to Mexico and ahead of court hearings.
- Migrants will now be provided transportation directly to shelters after returning to Mexico, facilities have better WiFi and the Mexican government has committed to providing enhanced security at shelters.
