The Trump administration has reportedly negotiated a deal with Mexico’s incoming government that would require asylum seekers to remain in that country until their claims are heard.
The Washington Post reported Saturday the agreement was reached with the transition team of president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who will take office on Dec. 1.
It’s not clear how the reported agreement will affect the fate of some 3,000 asylum seekers now gathered in Tijuana.
The so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy would be a sharp break with long-standing asylum rules that allowed migrants to file asylum claims after entering the U.S. either legally or illegally.
The Post said the Obrador team backs the new policy because Mexico does not want host repeated migrant “caravans,” which are a drain on that country’s resources.
President Trump confirmed that a deal had been reached in a late afternoon tweet on Saturday.
Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court. We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No “Releasing” into the U.S…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018