SAN ANTONIO – Asylum seekers who have been stuck in Mexico for moths during the Trump administration are slowly being allowed in the United States.
Thousands of migrants were forced to wait in Mexico under the program known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) that was initiated in 2019.
A spokesperson for the city of Brownsville said from Wednesday to Sunday, more than 270 asylum seekers were allowed into the city.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said they have been working closely with President Joe Biden’s administration.
“The priority is getting individuals that have been in that camp in Matamoros, and that’s going to be about 700. We intend to do that within the next 10 to 14 days,” Mendez said.
The mayor said the migrants are coming from Cuba and different countries in Central and South America.
“When this Migrant Protection Protocol program was put in place prior to that, individuals that were seeking asylum could wait in the United States for their court dates. Right. To see whether or not the court determined that they, in fact, were eligible for asylum. But once the MPP was put in place, then those individuals were asked to remain in Mexico,” Mendez said.
The mayor said people that have been staying in the camp have been getting health checks prior to crossing.
“Once they cross, then we get their information, help them make travel arrangements and then get them to their sponsor, to their family as quickly as we can,” Mendez said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said there are approximately 25,000 people in the MPP program with active cases.
“This administration is certainly a lot different than the previous one. And like I said, we’ll see over time how this new policy works, but I’m confident we’re going to see some very positive changes,” Mendez said.
WATCH BELOW: ‘It’s a huge step back’: Immigration lawyer says opening Carrizo Springs immigration facility is unnecessary