The Trump administration has sent the first asylum-seeking Central American families back to Mexico to await the results of their asylum cases in the United States.
The families were transferred Wednesday as part of the administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, The Hill has confirmed.{mosads}
The program was initially used exclusively for single adults. A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman confirmed that it has been expanded to include family units.
Authorities have sent back four women, one couple and 10 children at the El Chaparral port of entry near Tijuana, according to BuzzFeed, which first reported on the transfers.
It represents the next step in the administration’s plan to have asylum seekers wait out their process outside the United States, to avoid lengthy detention of prospective asylees or the possibility of migrants not showing up for their court dates.