Appeals Court Temporarily Allows Return of Asylum-Seekers to Mexico

Epoch Times: A federal appeals court has granted a request by the Trump administration to send asylum-seekers back to Mexico while they wait for a court to process their claims—a temporary victory for the president on the issue of immigration.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on May 7 reversed a decision by a San Francisco judge that would have blocked the policy. In their ruling, the judges approved the policy (pdf), partly due to the Mexico government’s commitment to ensure the safety of asylum seekers who are returned to that country.

“The plaintiffs fear substantial injury upon return to Mexico, but the likelihood of harm is reduced somewhat by the Mexican government’s commitment to honor its international law obligations and to grant humanitarian status and work permits to individuals returned under the MPP,” the judges ruled. “We are hesitant to disturb this compromise amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Mexico because, as we have explained, the preliminary injunction (at least in its present form) is unlikely to be sustained on appeal.”