Tuesday | October 19th, 2021

It’s Tuesday, October 19th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:

1) Biden Reinstates Trump-Era Border Policy

The Topline: In a major reversal, the Biden administration announced Thursday they would be reviving the Remain in Mexico policy, an immigration order enacted under President Trump and heavily criticized by Democrats, including Joe Biden himself.

Nick Ut/Contributor/Getty Images

“Remain In Mexico” Policy

The policy went into effect in December of 2018 as part of an effort from President Donald Trump to deter illegal immigrants from crossing the southern border. It allows border agents to send asylum seekers back to Mexico while they wait for their claims to be decided in court.

Opponents say it puts asylum seekers at increased risk and they’re often unable to access humanitarian aid while waiting in Mexico. They also claim it’s unfair to asylum seekers from a Due Process standpoint.

Supporters say it could prevent asylum seekers from skipping their court dates after being released into the country. They also argue it serves as a deterrent for those contemplating entering the country illegally.

The Numbers: Newly leaked Border Patrol documents revealed that at least 160,000 illegal immigrants have been released into the U.S. since March – often with “little to no supervision.”

Why Is It Back?

The policy had been in place for two years, but was rescinded by President Biden almost immediately after he took office.

In August, a federal judge in Texas ruled the administration didn’t have the authority to reverse the policy.

The Biden administration tried an appeal to the Supreme Court after the ruling in Texas, but they declined to hear the case, so for now, it’s going back into effect.

The policy is set to begin again starting in mid-November, but it might take some negotiating to get Mexico to agree to take in asylum seekers.

Li Chun/China News Service/Contributor via Getty Images

2) China Tests Hypersonic Missile

The Topline: According to a new report, the Chinese military tested a new form of missile technology which could allow them to threaten the U.S. mainland.

Quote Of The Day: “If we stick to our current complacent course–or place our hopes in bankrupt buzzwords like ‘integrated deterrence’–we will lose the New Cold War with Communist China within the decade.”

– Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

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