President Joe Biden is considering a plan that would let immigrants waiting at the Mexican border enter the United States while their asylum claims are processed, a move toward reversing the Trump-era "remain-in-Mexico" policy.
Former President Donald Trump's Migrant Protection Protocols, as the program is formally known, require all migrants seeking to cross the southern border to remain in Mexico while applying, no matter their country of origin.
This left most of them camping in tent cities that immigrant advocates say left them vulnerable to kidnapping and rape, amid other crimes.
According to documents obtained by BuzzFeed News, Biden's plan would initially allow for entry through three ports into the United States, but only after asylum-seekers tested negative for COVID-19.
Once allowed inside the United States, they would be taken to local shelters and would be required to coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to avoid detention. They still might be required to wear ankle bracelets, The Hill reported.
The Biden policy is expected to be implemented over the coming weeks, according to The Hill, and follows an executive order signed by Biden in early February asking the Department of Homeland Security to replace Migrant Protection Protocols.
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