Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025

This bill would make the “Migrant Protection Protocols” mandatory. It changes the law so the government must send certain people who arrive by land from a country next to the United States back to that country while their request to enter is decided, instead of leaving it up to the government to choose between detaining them or sending them back to wait. It does this by changing the law’s wording from “may” to “shall,” which makes the return process required rather than optional. Under the bill, if someone isn’t clearly allowed to enter, the Department of Justice must return them to the neighboring country while their case is pending; current law allows the government either to detain them or return them to wait, but does not require return.

Key points

• Who is affected: People arriving by land from a country bordering the U.S. who are not clearly allowed to enter; border communities where people may wait outside the U.S..
• What changes: Return to the neighboring country while the case is pending becomes mandatory, not optional, by changing “may” to “shall” in the law.
• When: Takes effect once enacted; the bill text doesn’t list a specific start date.