Florida lawmakers respond to Supreme Court ruling that president decides where asylum seekers can wait for court

MIAMI – A major ruling from the Supreme Court on a Trump-era immigration policy may be a win for those seeking asylum in the United States.

The ruling gives the president the right to decide where countless people will wait as they make claims for asylum in the U.S.

South Florida’s conservative lawmakers gave their opinions on the ruling.

“I think the court got it right,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez. “I don’t agree with what President Biden is going to do with it.”

Rep. Mario Diaz Balart also responding to the news, sending out a Tweet which read, in part: “…terminating the “Remain in Mexico” policy would be exceedingly irresponsible & dangerous.”

The assumption from both is that President Joe Biden will end the policy that former President Donald Trump put in place.

Biden tried to end the policy last year, when the State of Texas filed a lawsuit. The policy remained in effect while the suit went up the court chain, with migrants remaining in difficult conditions south of the border as their cases took years to process.

“What Biden does now, he knows full well, at 90 percent of them, once they go to court, their asylum hearing will be denied, but then can’t find them anymore because they disappear,” Gimenez said.

Biden’s biggest Florida critics frame border issues in terms of crime and cartels.

“If Biden revokes the Remain in Mexico policy, you’re going to see the worst border crisis get even worse,” DeSantis said.

The policy addresses asylum seekers filing legal immigration claims, and while justices sided with the Biden Administration, their ruling is less a win than a remand to the lower Texas court that kept the so-called Remain in Mexico policy in place to begin with.


About the Author

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."

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