Republicans in both the House and Senate will introduce legislation Thursday that would reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, otherwise known as the Remain in Mexico program implemented in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump. The program was later dismantled by the Biden administration shortly after President Joe Biden took office in 2021 despite pushback from Republicans, particularly those in border states.

“Biden’s first action upon taking office four years ago was to reverse President Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy,” Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), who introduced the legislation in the House, said in a statement. “The consequences have proven deadly. My bill lays the groundwork to restore law and order and secure our nation by federally mandating that those awaiting a court date do so from their country of origin. We are a land of laws, it’s time we act like it and put the safety of Americans first.”

The bill would direct illegal immigrants seeking asylum at the southern border or who lack proper documentation to return to Mexico as they await immigration proceedings.

The Department of Homeland Security implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols in January 2019, seeking to end the “catch and release” policies previously in place. Under the policy, immigrants received notices to appear in immigration court at a later date and were returned to Mexico until that date.

While immigrants were instructed to wait, Mexican officials agreed to provide humanitarian aid under the U.S.-Mexico Joint Declaration and Supplementary Agreement.

However, Republicans accused Biden of backtracking on that agreement when he ended Remain in Mexico, which lawmakers say helped contribute to historic numbers of illegal immigration during his administration.

“For too long, dangerous criminals have been set free in the United States while waiting for their day in court,” Williams said. “Bad actors exploit the system and disappear, never to be seen again. With violence, murder, drug smuggling, and cartel activity terrorizing our communities, now more than ever we must be aware of who is in our country.”

Other lawmakers have also advocated the reinstatement of Remain in Mexico policies, including freshman Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) who introduced a bill last week that would implement the Migrant Protection Protocols from Trump’s first term. That bill, along with Williams and Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) proposal, indicates a larger push among Republicans to usher in sweeping policy changes along the southern border after Trump returns to the White House.

Republicans are hoping to now enshrine the program in federal law rather than as an executive order so that it cannot be easily undone by a future president who disagrees with the policy.

Republicans previously introduced the legislation in the last Congress, but the bill was never considered by the Democratic-led Senate.

The same bill was introduced in the Senate by Blackburn, who paired it with another bill to streamline enforcement of immigration laws for apprehending, detaining, and transferring illegal immigrants to federal custody. That bill, the CLEAR Act, would also require states and localities to provide the Department of Homeland Security with certain information about immigrants who are apprehended, including their names and addresses as well as the date, time, and location of arrest.

“During his time in office, President Biden rolled back the successful Remain in Mexico program, invited millions of illegal immigrants to flood our southern border, and refused to enforce the laws on the books,” Blackburn said in a statement. “President Biden’s failure to lead permitted lawlessness across the country and resulted in the murder of innocent Americans like Laken Riley. Both the CLEAR Act and the Make MPP Mandatory Act would strengthen border security and crack down on those who break our laws.”