‘Remain in Mexico’ migrant hearings delayed, Homeland Security says

Officials announced late Monday that immigration hearings for migrants who have been pushed back across the border into Mexico under the administration’s so-called “Remain in Mexico” program are being delayed, due to coronavirus fears.

Homeland Security and the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review issued a joint statement saying that migrants who were supposed to have court dates over the next month will have them rescheduled for later.

Tens of thousands of migrants are waiting in Mexico for a chance to make their case for asylum in the U.S. under the Migrant Protection Protocol, a policy that helped solve last year’s border surge.

Under the new terms, the migrants are still supposed to show up at the ports of entry at the designated time, but they’ll be given a new court date then.

“DHS and EOIR are deeply committed to ensuring that individuals ’have their day in court’ while also ensuring the health and safety of aliens, our frontline officers, immigration court professionals, and our citizens,” the departments said.

The move comes just days after the administration announced a broad shutdown of non-essential border traffic, saying there’s a danger that COVID-19 would be spread further by entry of unauthorized persons across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigrant-rights advocates blasted that move, and have said leaving asylum-seekers in Mexico under the MPP is cruel as well.