周四，在墨西哥政府同意之前，美国推出了实施“留在墨西哥”政策的改革，该政策也被称为移民保护协议。
特朗普政府的政策一直受到倡导者的审查，该政策迫使边境沿线的寻求庇护者在墨西哥等待他们的申请得到处理。
拜登政府此前曾试图终止这一政策，但法院不允许，理由是他们终止政策的方式在程序上不合法。此外，重新实施多伙伴关系计划的一部分取决于墨西哥的合作。
在周四与记者的通话中，美国官员预计他们对该计划所做的修改“将满足墨西哥的要求”，他们“预计墨西哥将在宣布后不久宣布一项开始MPP的协议。”
官员们预计，这项政策将于周一实施，从边境的一个港口开始，并“迅速扩大”到西南边境的所有港口。然而，官员们不能说是哪个港口，因为物流仍在制定中。
在8月份的裁决中，法院命令国土安全部“真诚地执行和实施公共政策计划”，直到某些条件得到满足，包括公共政策计划“根据《行政程序法》被依法撤销”
政策的一些变化包括扩大免于货币政策计划的“弱势个人”。他们将在“个案基础上”被观察。
一名美国高级官员表示，这些人将包括“那些面临身心健康挑战的人、老年人和那些面临歧视风险的人，特别是因为他们的性别取向或性身份而受到歧视的人”。
美国海关和边境保护局特工也将询问寻求庇护者是否害怕回到自己的祖国。以前，想要申请庇护的人不得不主动声称害怕回到自己的祖国。
官员们强调的另一个对墨西哥意义重大的变化是在180天内加快庇护案件的审理。
目前，积压的移民案件超过130万起。官员们说，因此，为了满足墨西哥的要求，司法部移民审查执行办公室(EOIR)法庭将安排22名法官专门审理移民保护局的庇护案件。
审理MPP案件的四个港口将是圣地亚哥、得克萨斯州埃尔帕索、得克萨斯州拉雷多和得克萨斯州布朗斯维尔。
MPP的所有注册者都将有机会获得新冠肺炎疫苗，由CBP人员在边境巡逻站提供给他们。
具体来说，成人将获得一剂强生疫苗，儿童将获得辉瑞疫苗。
他们还与墨西哥当局合作，在墨西哥等待期间，通过安全的电话线，适当地允许接触律师。
政府官员期待并希望律师们能站出来代表MPP的注册者。
然而，官员们强调，由于公共卫生紧急命令，第42章仍在颁布，驱逐仍在进行。
根据部长亚历杭德罗·马约尔卡斯(Alejandro Mayorkas)的备忘录，10月份，DHS表示将再次尝试终止该计划。通话中的官员重申了这一计划。
US rolls out changes to 'Remain in Mexico' policy pending Mexico agreement
The United States rolled out its changes to carry out the “remain in Mexico" policy, also known as the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), on Thursday, pending agreement from the Mexican government.
The Trump administration policy, which has been the subject of scrutiny from advocates, forces asylum seekers along the border to wait in Mexico while their claims are being processed.
The Biden Administration had previously attempted to end the policy, but the court would not allow it, citing the way they ended it was procedurally not legal. In addition, part of re-implementing the MPP hinged on cooperation from Mexico.
On a call with reporters on Thursday, U.S. officials anticipate the changes they made to the program “will satisfy Mexico’s demands,” and they “anticipate that Mexico will announce an agreement to begin MPP soon after that announcement.”
Officials expect the policy to be implemented on Monday, starting with one port along the border and “rapidly expanding” to all ports along the southwest border. However, officials could not say which port because the logistics were still being worked out.
In its ruling in August, the court ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “enforce and implement MPP in good faith” until certain conditions are satisfied, including that MPP be “lawfully rescinded in compliance with the APA.”
Some of the changes to the policy include an expansion of “vulnerable individuals” that are exempted from MPP. They will be looked at on a “case by case basis.”
They will include “those with physical and mental health challenges, the elderly and those at risk of discrimination, particularly because of their gender orientation or sexual identity on a case by case basis,” one senior U.S. official said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will also be asking if asylum seekers have a fear of returning to their home country. Previously, people who wanted to claim asylum had to claim fear of returning to their home country proactively.
Another change that officials stressed was significant to Mexico, was to expedite asylum cases in under 180 days.
Currently, there is an immigration backlog of over 1.3 million cases. So, in order to satisfy Mexico’s requirement, the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) court will put 22 judges specifically on MPP asylum cases, officials said.
The four ports where MPP cases will be heard will be San Diego, El Paso, Texas, Laredo, Texas and Brownsville, Texas.
All enrollees in MPP will have access to COVID-19 vaccines, given to them in Border Patrol stations by CBP personnel.
Specifically, adults will be offered the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, and children will be offered the Pfizer vaccine.
They are also working with Mexican authorities to properly allow access to counsel, through secure phone lines, while waiting in Mexico.
Administration officials expect and are hopeful that lawyers will step up to represent MPP enrollees.
However, Title 42 is still being enacted and deportations are being carried out due to the public health emergency order, officials stressed.
In October, the DHS said it would make another attempt to terminate the plan, according to a memo from Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Officials on the call reiterated that plan.
