Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025

# Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What the Bill Would Do** This bill would require the Department of Justice to send certain people back to their home countries while their applications to enter the U.S. are being reviewed. Currently, the government has a choice in how to handle these cases—they can either detain people in the U.S. or send them back. This bill would make returning them mandatory rather than optional, but only for people who arrived by land from countries that border the U.S. and who are not clearly eligible to enter the country. **Who It Affects and Key Details** The bill primarily affects migrants and asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S.

border by land. It essentially codifies and makes permanent a Trump-era policy called the "Migrant Protection Protocols" (also known as the "Remain in Mexico" program). Rather than waiting in the U.S. while their cases are processed, affected individuals would wait in the bordering country they came from. The bill does not apply to people who are clearly entitled to admission. **Current Status** As of now, the bill is in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House. It was introduced by Representative Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, in the 119th Congress.