If you have relatives waiting in Mexico for an asylum hearing, you may be able to bring them to your Florida home sooner than expected. In early August 2021, a federal judge removed a Trump-era injunction requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases were pending.
Homeland Security working quickly to end “Remain in Mexico”
Department of Homeland Security officials have indicated that they will work quickly to allow those seeking immigration to the United States under asylum rules to enter the country. The border measure, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), forced about 5,800 immigrants from December 2021 to July 2022 to remain in Mexico to await asylum appointments. Most of the detainees were from Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Trump administration aggressively used the protocol to keep immigrants out of the United States after negotiating a deal with Mexican authorities.
Lifting the injunction represents a return to a more standard process for asylum seekers, allowing them to temporarily enter the United States and work while awaiting their asylum hearings. The process can take several years as immigration courts face a massive backlog of cases. The federal government reinstituted MPP after Trump administration claims that immigrants were using asylum to avoid detention and deportation after committing crimes in the United States.
Helping your family members enter the United States
Many immigrants seeking asylum are still in Mexican border cities or camps waiting for their chance to enter the United States. The recent ruling means you can work to get your family members inside the United States before their scheduled court date.
Applying for and receiving asylum remains a complicated legal process. However, if you go through the proper legal channels and present proof that your family members will be in danger if they return to your home country, their chances of permanently remaining in the United States will improve. All asylum applicants should still follow directions and procedures on their court documents and appear for their hearings.