Katko Statement on Biden Administration’s Termination of MPP Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. John Katko (R-NY), lead Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the below statement on the Biden Administration’s announcement that it has formally ended the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy:

“This move by the Biden Administration sends yet another signal that the U.S. borders are open to illegal immigration. This is a very serious mistake. The ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy was a critical tool for border patrol agents to manage the influx of migrants flooding into our country. Once again, the Biden Administration has forced our frontline border security professionals to manage the mess it made with no choice but to catch-and-release tens of thousands of migrants into the interior of our country.

“To say that MPP does not ‘adequately or sustainably enhance border management’ signals a failure to recognize the continually growing crisis at our southwest border and an unwillingness to acknowledge actual solutions. Removing this safeguard creates yet another pull factor, encouraging migrants to make the dangerous journey and enter our country illegally. The common thread across President Biden’s continued actions is unwinding commonsense border security policies while putting our homeland security on the back burner.”