REMAIN in Mexico Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The REMAIN in Mexico Act is a direct statutory command to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols. Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of Homeland Security must implement the January 25, 2019 policy guidance issued by Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen titled Policy Guidance for Implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols. In practice, that guidance returned certain non-Mexican migrants and asylum seekers to Mexico to wait outside the United States during immigration proceedings. The bill does not create a new asylum standard; it compels DHS to use that specific program framework.
Who Benefits and How
Border enforcement officials benefit because the bill gives statutory backing to the Migrant Protection Protocols program. Immigration restriction advocates benefit because the bill requires a Remain in Mexico approach for covered migrants and asylum seekers. Communities near U.S. border processing centers may benefit if fewer released migrants wait inside the United States during proceedings. DHS policy offices benefit from a clear congressional instruction to implement the 2019 Nielsen guidance.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Asylum seekers subject to MPP bear the burden because they may be returned to Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases proceed. The Department of Homeland Security must restart or maintain the program and administer case processing under the 2019 guidance. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum staff must coordinate interviews and adjudication under MPP logistics. The Government of Mexico faces operational and humanitarian pressure from returned migrants waiting near the border.
Key Provisions
- Requires DHS to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols notwithstanding any other provision of law.
- Uses the January 25, 2019 Nielsen policy guidance as the required implementation framework.
- Directs a Remain in Mexico model for covered migrants and asylum seekers during proceedings.
- Does not rewrite asylum merits standards but changes where covered applicants wait while cases proceed.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to implement the January 25, 2019 Migrant Protection Protocols policy guidance, commonly known as Remain in Mexico.
Key Policy Areas
Immigration, Border Security, Asylum
Primary Purpose
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to implement the January 25, 2019 Migrant Protection Protocols policy guidance, commonly known as Remain in Mexico.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Border enforcement officials
- Immigration restriction advocates
- Border communities
- DHS policy offices
Identified Costs
- Asylum seekers subject to MPP
- Department of Homeland Security
- USCIS asylum staff
- Government of Mexico
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Gill of Texas (for himself, Ms. Mace, Mr. Ogles, …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Border enforcement officials, Department of Homeland Security, Government of Mexico
Positive-direction: Border enforcement officials
Negative-direction: Department of Homeland Security, Government of Mexico
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology