Asylum seekers stranded in Mexico under the Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy are celebrating a court ruling that affects their cases, with one describing the experience in stark terms: "We went through horrible, heavy things."

The ruling concerns the policy formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which required certain asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while US immigration courts processed their claims. Under the programme, tens of thousands of people who arrived at the US border seeking asylum could not enter the United States during their proceedings. Instead, they lived for months or years in Mexican border cities while their cases moved slowly through the court backlog.

What was the 'Remain in Mexico' policy?

The policy, launched during the Trump administration, changed a long-standing practice. Previously, many asylum seekers could wait inside the United States while immigration judges decided their claims. The MPP sent them back across the border to wait in Mexico, often in cities with high levels of violence and limited shelter.

Human rights organisations documented kidnappings, assaults and extortion targeting migrants forced to wait in these conditions. Advocates argued the policy exposed vulnerable people to serious danger and made it far harder for them to prepare legal cases, meet lawyers and attend court hearings.

Who does the ruling affect?

The decision touches asylum seekers who entered the programme and remained stranded in Mexico, some for years. Many saw their cases stall or their hearings postponed repeatedly. The ruling has prompted celebrations among migrant communities and support groups at the border, who view it as a chance for stranded applicants to have their claims reconsidered under fairer conditions.

One asylum seeker, recounting the ordeal of waiting in Mexico, said: "We went through horrible, heavy things." The remark captures the experience many migrants described: prolonged separation from family in the United States, unsafe living conditions, and legal limbo with no clear end date.

Why the policy has been contested

'Remain in Mexico' has shifted with each administration. President Donald Trump introduced it. President Joe Biden moved to end it, courts ordered its temporary revival, and its status has been the subject of ongoing litigation ever since. Each turn has left thousands of asylum seekers in uncertainty, unsure whether they would be allowed into the United States or forced to keep waiting south of the border.

Immigration advocates have pressed for stranded migrants to be admitted and allowed to pursue their claims from inside the country. They argue that waiting in Mexico denied applicants meaningful access to counsel and endangered people who had already fled persecution.

What happens next?

Migrants affected by the ruling and their representatives will watch how authorities implement it — including whether stranded asylum seekers receive new hearing dates, entry into the United States, or renewed consideration of their claims. Implementation details and timing rest with the responsible US authorities and the courts.

Anyone affected should rely on official communications from US immigration authorities and the courts for the current status of the programme and individual case instructions. This report does not provide legal advice; asylum seekers with active cases should consult official government sources or accredited legal representatives for guidance specific to their situation.