Migrants who would like to enter the United States will now once again need to remain in Mexico while waiting for immigration hearings, as the Biden administration has released a statement to comply with a court order and accept conditions set out by Mexico for resuming the Trump-era policy.
If you have further questions, continue reading and do not hesitate to reach out to a dedicated and experienced family immigration attorney in New York City.
Homeland Security secretary finds the policy to have “endemic flaws”
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas finds that the policy has “endemic flaws, imposed unjustifiable human costs, pulled resources and personnel away from other priority efforts, and failed to address the root causes of irregular migration.”
All migrants that are subject to this policy will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Adults will receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one shot. Children who are qualified under U.S. guidelines will get the Pfizer shot and will receive the second shots when they come to the U.S. for their first hearings.
Cases are aimed to be completed within 180 days, as Mexico has expressed concerns that they will deteriorate. The Justice Department is allocating 22 immigration judges to work on these cases solely.
The U.S. is trying to ensure migrants’ safety
According to The Biden administration, migrants’ safety has become a priority when they need to travel to and from the court in both the U.S. and Mexico. Additionally, migrants returned from Laredo and Brownsville, will be moved to locations further inside Mexico because they are safer.
Migrants from Western Hemisphere countries will be qualified. U.S. officials haven’t declared how many will be processed daily. The administration has kept in place another Trump-era policy that permits it to return Central Americans to Mexico on the grounds of controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Migrants will have the ability to meet with attorneys before each hearing. The State Department is working with Mexico on locations for video and phone access to attorneys in the U.S.
Furthermore, Mexico released a statement saying that “vulnerable” people should be excused, including unaccompanied children, pregnant women, physically or mentally ill people, older people, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ community.
However, several U.S.-based legal aid groups that have represented asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico are now saying that they will no longer take these cases, which adds questions to the U.S. ability to provide migrants with better access to legal counsel. Administration officials say they think there are sufficiently other lawyers who will represent asylum-seekers sent back to Mexico.
To learn more about this, reach out to our skilled family immigration attorney in New York City today.
Contact Our New York City Immigration Lawyers
Our law firm can explain all the opportunities associated with fiancé visas and help you through the entire procedure, as well as discuss whether this is a good option. For an initial consultation with a skilled immigration lawyer, contact the Law Office of Cheryl R. David in New York.
