"Stay in Mexico" will remain in effect for several weeks. This despite the Supreme Court ruling that allows the Biden administration to dismantle the program, according to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who also urged those who are planning to enter the United States in an irregular manner to desist from doing so because of the danger it represents.
Mayorkas pointed out during an interview with CBS that "We have to wait for that ruling from the district court that issued an injunction preventing us from finishing 'Stay in Mexico'. Therefore, we have several weeks before the district court lifts its injunction." The official revealed that at this point they would be bound by the district court's ruling to continue implementing the program in accordance with the law.
Release is not automatic
According to what was said by the US Secretary of Homeland Security, those who want to seek asylum have to remain in Mexico in addition he expressed that people who are at the border, are not automatically released. "They are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings, and that is what will happen with these people. Their proceedings will continue in immigration court, where they will pursue their asylum claims." The official detailed that if the applications are not accepted, the immigrants will be quickly removed from the country.
'Stay in Mexico' began to be implemented as a U.S. immigration policy, since January 2019 during the administration of Donald Trump. The program states that Mexican asylum seekers must remain in their country until they are interviewed by a U.S. immigration court. Joe Biden tried to end the measure since February 2021 in failed attempts until finally the U.S. Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for its repeal in June 2022.
Mayorkas also gave statements to ABC's "This Week", where he lamented the 53 immigrants who lost their lives inside an abandoned truck in San Antonio Texas and also reiterated that "we continue to enforce immigration law, as is our legal responsibility" although he finally admitted that "We have to do better".
