US Immigration in the News – Supreme Court Says Biden Can Terminate “Remain in Mexico” Policy

If you have been paying any attention to the news recently, you are keenly aware of the controversial decisions made by the United States Supreme Court. While not without controversy, one of the Court’s decisions handed down on June 30, 2022, is largely being celebrated by immigrant advocates and immigration lawyers as a step in the right direction.

On June 30, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling to give the Biden Administration the go-ahead to end the “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy in place since former President Donald Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office. This policy, now expected to be lifted shortly, sent certain non-Mexican citizens who had entered the US back to Mexico, rather than detaining or releasing them in the US while they awaited their immigration proceedings.

First implemented in 2019, the Trump administration’s policy had drawn the ire of immigrant rights advocates claiming the policy put the lives of asylum seekers at risk to potentially dangerous conditions in Mexico. The Court’s ruling may also potentially prevent federal courts from issuing injunctions in detention and immigration enforcement cases not brought by individual immigrants, as it stated the lower court in the case had erred in blocking the policy’s termination by President Biden.

While a big win for the Biden administration, the issue isn’t fully resolved as the case will go back down to lower courts for additional proceedings around this latest attempt to end the program. A hold on Biden’s bid to end the program remains in place, but the ruling suggests that that order should be lifted shortly.

Stay tuned for the latest from the MPC Law immigration team as we closely monitor these updates and for any other significant changes in US and Canadian immigration!