Court Ordered Biden to Restart Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” — But He Didn’t Have to Make it Worse

The Biden administration said its hands were tied after a court ordered it to restart the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy that prevents asylum seekers from crossing the border. But President Biden didn’t just bring back the program, he expanded it — and while the reasons why are not entirely clear, they may have more to do with politics than with humane immigration policy.

“The Biden administration was not ordered by the court to expand Remain in Mexico to new populations,” Ursela Ojeda, senior policy adviser for migrant rights and justice at the Women’s Refugee Commission, told reporters last week. “They are going well above and beyond good faith compliance that’s required of them to make this policy more cruel and more deadly.”