Grassley Statement on U.S.-Mexico Asylum Agreement
WASHINGTON
– Earlier
today, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced that the United
States and Mexico will enter into a safe third country agreement that will help
accommodate the steady stream of migrants traveling through Mexico seeking
asylum in the United States. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) called for such an agreement
in October. Grassley made the following statement on today’s announcement.
“I applaud today’s announcement regarding the
Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) agreement between the United States and
Mexico. In October, Senator Lee and I wrote a letter to Secretaries Pompeo and
Nielsen, urging the Trump Administration to pursue a safe third country
agreement with Mexico. The MPP is a welcome first step in that direction. Under
the MPP, migrants claiming asylum will wait in Mexico during the adjudication
of their claims here in the United States. There, the Mexican government will
provide these individuals with humanitarian visas, work authorization, and
other protections. Additionally, applicants will have access to immigration
attorneys and to the U.S. for their court hearings.
“This creates a safe and orderly process for
handling thousands of asylum applications, and ensures that migrants are
treated in a humane manner. This agreement also protects American sovereignty
and provides overdue relief to our own immigration system. We can focus on
quickly assisting legitimate and vulnerable asylum-seekers, while deterring
fraudulent claimants from making the journey to our border. Most importantly,
this agreement will allow us to address our staggering asylum backlog.
“I applaud the efforts of Secretaries Pompeo and
Nielsen, as well as Mexican President López Obrador. I’m hopeful this will
prompt other countries in our hemisphere to adhere to Mexico’s example and
begin to help shoulder the responsibility for unprecedented levels of
unsanctioned mass migration.”
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