Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025

# Summary of the Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025 **What the bill would do:** This bill would require the Department of Justice to send certain migrants back to their country of origin while their applications to enter the United States are being reviewed. Currently, the government has the option to either detain these individuals in the U.S. or return them to a bordering country—this bill would make returning them mandatory. The requirement would apply to people who arrived by land from countries bordering the U.S.

and are not clearly eligible for admission. **Who it affects and key provisions:** The bill primarily affects migrants and asylum seekers who enter the U.S. by land from Mexico or Canada while their immigration cases are pending. Instead of waiting in the United States during the application review process, these individuals would be required to wait in their home country or a neighboring country. This reverses the current flexibility that immigration officials have in deciding how to handle each case. **Current status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.