Government decisions to ease the impact of the pandemic

The arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic was totally unexpected for countries and governments around the world.

Society had not gone through a similar crisis for several decades and we clearly did not know how to handle the impact of the virus and the entire crisis that it generated.

That is why most of the countries created strategies to counter the impact of the pandemic and protect the public health of the population.

For instance, in the US, which is known for being a world power and a first-world country, President Donald Trump decided to close the borders to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Despite the fact that the US became one of the epicenters of the virus and the number of people infected is alarming, the current administration still continues to try to protect public health and avoid saturation of the health system.

Asylum requests during the health crisis

With the temporary closure of the US’ borders, applications for asylum and refuge are currently suspended.

In fact, asylum hearings were supposed to resume when the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offices reopened (June 4, 2020).

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ), released an official statement declaring that asylum and refuge hearings will be postponed until July 20, 2020.

This means that the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) policy will continue to be used during the health crisis and until the threat to public health diminishes.

MPP – Brief Explanation

The MPP refers to an immigration policy implemented by the Trump government in January 2019.

This policy is also known as “Remain in Mexico” and states that all immigrants who arrive at the borders of the US to request asylum or refuge must remain in Mexico while waiting for their hearings.

The main arguments of the current administration of the US to implement this policy are:

• Immigration detention centers in the US are already overcrowded and cannot accommodate any more people who reach the borders or who attempt to cross them illegally.
• Because the asylum processes are quite extensive, the US cannot allow immigrants to enter so that they reside without legal documentation in the country.

MPP during the pandemic

Nowadays, due to the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus, asylum seekers under the “Remain in Mexico” policy are in immediate danger.

Let’s see some of the reasons:

• They live in temporary shelters built on the borders of Mexico.
• There is no access to water, food, soap, clean toilets or sanitary protection.
• There are no medical personnel.
• They survive on donations from surrounding communities and immigrant rights advocates.

Therefore, this policy is affecting the lives of thousands of innocent immigrants who only yearn to obtain an opportunity to reside in the US and flee the danger of their countries.

Now, with the expansion of border restrictions, they must wait even longer and face an even higher risk of getting the nouvelle Coronavirus.

Avoid precarious situations for you and your family

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.