Press ReleasesFrom Michael Hopkins, CEO
On the campaign trail, the Biden-Harris Administration made many promises about rebuilding our nation’s broken immigration system. Since taking office, the Administration has taken many more steps backward than forward.
Continuing this backward spiral, the Administration’s announcement that the cruel Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, will be reinstated early next week. Notably, MPP has also been expanded to include all countries in the Western Hemisphere to be forced to endure the horrific atrocities associated with this program. None of this makes sense — it was just one month ago that the Administration acknowledged the harm and damage that MPP did to our asylum system and the individuals seeking safety in our country.
We know that MPP has already forced more than 70,000 vulnerable asylum seekers to wait too long in dangerous conditions in Mexico without the safety and dignity they deserve in the U.S. The reinstatement of MPP gives no hope to those who are waiting in Mexico, and the numbers will now continue to grow, violating even more asylum seekers’ human rights. MPP is unacceptable, inhumane, and as the Administration has already stated, “no amount of resources can sufficiently fix.”
As legal service providers and immigration advocates, Jewish Family Service of San Diego strongly urges the White House to permanently terminate MPP. We stand at the ready to help the Administration achieve its previously stated goal of rebuilding a humane immigration system, all while prioritizing public health.
We must return to our nation’s long history of welcoming the stranger.
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