Mexico protests US decision to return asylum-seekers

Historically, unauthorized single men have represented the bulk of those arrested and subsequently removed from the county. But since 2013, unaccompanied children and families have arrived in ever-larger numbers.

Written by: Azam Ahmed, Miriam Jordan and Elisabeth Malkin

The government of Mexico said Friday that it disagreed with the Trump administration’s decision to roll out a policy that forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while they pursue their cases in the United States — but said it would take in some of the asylum-seekers anyway.

In a statement, the Mexican government said it “does not agree with this unilateral measure implemented by the government of the United States” and outlined the conditions it had negotiated since the Department of Homeland Security announced the plan a month ago.

Roberto Velasco, a spokesman for Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, said it was “trying to respond to U.S. policy” with respect to the nation’s own immigration policy. “We’re making a sovereign decision to allow some people into Mexico with very clear limits based on what our laws and international commitments allow,” he said.

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Migrants met with tear gas on U.S.-Mexico border

A group of migrants, hoping for relaxed security on the U.S-Mexico border during New Year's Eve, are tear-gassed by border security to deter them from entering the United States.

The policy, which the Trump administration said Thursday it would begin to implement, marks an escalation in the administration’s attempt to rein in illegal immigration and a dramatic reversal of the decadeslong practice of allowing applicants to request protection from within the United States or at official ports of entry, and to remain in the country while their cases wind through immigration courts.

If applied to a majority of asylum applicants, it could potentially flood Mexican border towns like Tijuana with thousands more people seeking protection in the United States.