After some back-and-forth between the Biden administration and the federal courts, the Biden administration has vowed to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy by the middle of November following a Texas federal judge’s orders.
Remain in Mexico, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), was one of former President Donald Trump’s most successful efforts to limit migration from Mexico and Central America.
Under the MPP, asylum seekers were compelled to stay in Mexico while waiting for United States immigration courts to resolve their asylum cases.
As a result of the current policy change, migrants from Central America, who intend to enter the U.S. illegally, are forming a caravan headed towards the border before Remain in Mexico is fully implemented,
Dallas Express previously reported on this caravan, which began its trek northward last month, causing Congress’s immigration debate to resurface.
A group of roughly 3,000 migrants recently departed Tapachula, Mexico, close to Mexico’s border with Guatemala, and are now making their way to the U.S.
The caravan will likely go towards Texas, given how it’s the closest U.S. state on the border. Distance to the border is vital because the Mexican government refuses to allow truckers to help the migrants reach their destination.
As Sydnie Henry of Texas Scorecard noted, the past few months have “seen an influx of illegal border crossings and migrant encampment under the bridge in Del Rio,” further illustrating a growing wave of migrants making their way to the border.
Retired ICE agent Victor Avila was candid about this current caravan heading towards the Texas border. He asserted: “This is no surprise; this is the open-borders invitation by the Biden administration.”
Henry believes that the border crisis is the product of the Biden administration’s policies.
“The perpetuation of the border crisis largely rests in the hands of President Joe Biden, as his willingness to overlook illegal immigration is a leading cause for the migrants’ willingness to cross a protected U.S. border. Without the fear of deportation or prosecution, illegal aliens are willing to go to great extremes for the chance of a better life in the U.S,” said Henry.
The Biden administration has not taken an energetic approach to the current situation at the border, as evidenced by FEMA refusing to allocate funds towards Texas to strengthen its border security.
Similarly, the Biden administration has made efforts to resist implementing the Remain in Mexico policy. Avila commented on the Biden administration’s seemingly lax approach to enforcing Remain in Mexico: “I’m not gonna leave it up to the federal government to enforce that [Remain in Mexico policy] right now.”
Avila is of the view that it’s up to Texas to secure the border. However, he has expressed his doubts about the Abbott government’s response.
“There’s a lot that the state of Texas can do, but there is a hesitation from Governor Abbott on doing it,” stated Avila during an interview with Texas Scorecard. “I wish our governor would step up and actually enforce the protection of the sovereignty of our state.”
According to Avila, Operation Lonestar—the border security project the Abbott government has launched—has had “absolutely no” effect in addressing the border crisis.
In the meantime, Abbott’s primary challengers, such as Don Huffines and Allen West, have made border security major fixtures of their campaigns and have used it in a way to call out Abbott on the campaign trail.