Political | Process

The program will restart at one border location on Monday and will eventually involve seven entry points, including San Diego and the Texas cities of Laredo, El Paso and Brownsville.

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• The policy was first implemented in 2019 by former President Donald Trump amid an increase in Central American families crossing the southwest border. About 70,000 migrants have been returned to Mexico under the policy since 2019, according to the American Immigration Council.

• Joe Biden suspended the policy on his first day in office, citing the violence migrants faced waiting in Mexico for their court hearings, and formally ended it in June,

• But Republican-led states of Texas and Missouri sued the Biden administration in April over the program’s suspension. In August, a federal judge for the Northern District of Texas sided with the states and ordered the administration to reinstate the policy pending the outcome of the lawsuit. The administration appealed to the Supreme Court which blocked its efforts to end the policy.

• Since then, the U.S. has been coordinating with the Mexican government over how to reinstate the controversial program.

• “Key changes” will be made to the policy to address humanitarian concerns raised by both the Mexican and U.S. government, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release.

• For instance, the U.S. will aim to conclude immigration court proceedings within six months of an individual’s return to Mexico under the revised policy. Previously, migrants subject to the policy often waited months, if not years, to see an immigration judge.

• Adult migrants will be offered the chance to get vaccinated for Covid-19, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release. Inoculations will not be compulsory.

• The U.S. will also ensure that migrants subject to the policy have access to legal counsel before and during immigration court hearings, and ensure that there are “safe and secure” shelters available for those staying in Mexico.