WASHINGTON— Today, the Biden Administration announced the beginning of a plan to allow asylum seekers forced to wait in Mexico for their asylum hearings to begin entering the United States. Approximately 25,000 asylum seekers are currently in Mexico under former President Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols that forced them to remain in Mexico and exposed them to further persecution and violence. In response, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“The ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy was one of the most egregious examples of Trump’s attack on our values and our nation’s immigrant heritage. Instead of allowing families seeking asylum to await their asylum hearings in the safety of the United States, the Trump Administration sent them back to Mexico and exposed them to increased risk of violent crime.

“These changes are a positive step toward undoing the harms of the past four years and will help alleviate the humanitarian crisis manufactured by the previous administration. The Biden Administration must continue to quickly reform our asylum process and existing border policies to ensure that those fleeing violence and persecution can safely go through existing legal channels without facing more persecution in the process.”

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