Republicans are wasting no time preparing to rewrite the script on immigration as President-elect Donald Trump gears up to retake the White House. On Thursday, GOP lawmakers unveiled legislation in both chambers of Congress to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), better known as the “Remain in Mexico” program. First implemented during Trump’s initial term, the policy required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were processed in the U.S., a stark contrast to President Joe Biden’s 2021 decision to scrap the program in favor of the infamous “catch-and-release” approach. Unsurprisingly, the latter has been widely blamed for the recent surge in illegal immigration, and Republicans are making it clear they intend to change course.
The Senate wasted no time, holding a hearing Thursday morning to underscore the importance of reinstating MPP. But this time, Republicans want more than just an executive order—they’re aiming to codify the policy into federal law. Their reasoning is simple: a law is far harder to reverse than a presidential signature, and they’re not eager to see Biden’s open-door policies make a comeback. By anchoring the policy in legislation, Republicans hope to ensure asylum seekers face proper consequences for illegal entry rather than being released into the U.S. with a court date that many simply ignore.
Leading the charge is Texas Representative Roger Williams, who introduced the “Make MPP Mandatory Act.” Williams didn’t hold back in criticizing Biden’s handling of the border, accusing the outgoing president of creating a chaotic and dangerous situation for Americans. His proposal, along with similar bills from Representative Brandon Gill and Senator Marsha Blackburn, seeks to mandate that asylum seekers remain in their countries of origin while awaiting hearings. Williams argued this approach would restore order and prioritize the safety of American citizens—a sharp rebuke of Biden’s policies.
Senator Blackburn’s “CLEAR Act” goes even further, empowering state and local governments to enforce federal immigration laws directly. By granting local authorities the ability to apprehend and detain illegal migrants before transferring them to federal custody, the bill aims to give communities the tools to address the border crisis head-on. Blackburn wasn’t shy about linking Biden’s lax enforcement policies to tragic consequences, arguing that his administration’s failure to secure the border has cost innocent American lives. For Blackburn, Biden’s term was a four-year-long lesson in what not to do when it comes to border security.
With Trump’s inauguration just around the corner, Republicans are signaling a hard reset on immigration policy. By working to codify the “Remain in Mexico” program and expand local enforcement authority, they’re setting the stage for a major overhaul of Biden-era policies. Whether these measures can pass in a divided Congress is still uncertain, but the message is clear: the GOP is ready to clean up what they view as four years of border mismanagement and restore a sense of order to America’s southern border.
