President Biden is ending a Trump administration program that forced asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while they awaited court proceedings. Now, they will be allowed into the United States.
Axios reports the new program will go into effect on February 19th.
According to administration officials, DHS and the Justice Department will work with the Mexican government and international organizations to identify migrants with active cases and help them virtually register for processing at three yet to be announced ports of entry.
Once registered, eligible individuals will be provided additional information about where and when to present themselves, DHS said.
The Associated Press writes of the new Biden plan:
The first of an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers in Mexico with active cases will be allowed in the United States on Feb. 19, authorities said. They plan to start slowly with two border crossings each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer. Administration officials declined to name them out of fear they may encourage a rush of people to those locations.
Donald Trump had a policy called “Remain in Mexico” that forced asylum seekers into conditions that the Biden administration considered “inhumane.” That policy was reversed on the first day of President Biden’s term.