February 29, 2020 - Washington - The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday blocked the administration’s “Remain in Mexico” program. This policy forced asylum seekers to return to Mexico – often to dangerous conditions – to wait on their asylum hearings.

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement today:

“The 9th Circuit was right to block the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. This program violates U.S. law by forcing asylum-seeking families to return to Mexico in advance of their court hearings.

“More than 60,000 asylum seekers, including 16,000 children, have been affected. These people are often forced to live in squalid, dangerous conditions. In fact, Human Rights Watch discovered that more than 800 individuals awaiting their asylum hearings were murdered, tortured or attacked.

“Our asylum system was created to ensure that people fleeing persecution in their home countries could petition the U.S. government for safety. Instead, the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy undermines our asylum system and flies in the face of our national values. This policy should be permanently ended.”
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein