The Migrant Protection Protocol Policy (MPP) left over 70,000 asylum seekers stranded in Mexico. Now, President Joe Biden is taking steps to address the cases of 25,000 of them.

Migrants who already have an active, ongoing case in US courts will be allowed to re-enter the US and get their hearing before a judge. They will not be detained upon arrival, but will instead be given other options. While the Biden administration has not released information on what those options might be, ankle bracelets or regular check-ins seem likely.

Each of the asylum seekers will be tested for Covid-19. In addition, Covid-19 has been cited as the reason why the administration will take on no new cases. In reality, they probably want to deal with the other cases before them. For example, there are 33,000 immigrants who received unfair rulings in absentia, or who were given incorrect information about their court dates and so were unable to appear before a judge. The Biden administration will likely need a plan to address their situation, next.

Conditions at the border are rough, with migrants living in shelters or tent villages. Often, these asylum seekers are the victims of violence. Misinformation is causing a great deal of misery, and officials are worried about coyotes spreading the same misinformation about this initiative.

If you are in contact with a family member who is waiting at the border it is vital that you advise them to get their information solely from trustworthy, official sources. Otherwise they could end up at the wrong port of call, end up trying to enter the country when they’re not actually eligible to do so, or end up the victim of some other mishap.

President Biden is undoing a number of other harmful policies as well. For example, yesterday he rescinded the national emergency declaration which was allowing the border wall to be funded. 

Stay tuned, because looking ahead it’s likely we’re going to see many more changes as the president continues to tackle immigration in America. Changes happen constantly, sometimes daily.

If you’re trying to navigate the process, make sure you do it with the help of a skilled, experienced immigration attorney.

See also:

In the News: Biden Makes Immigration First Priority

Why an Immigration Attorney is Your Best Bet

Challenging Credible Fear Interview and Bond Hearing Delays