In an announcement Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) outlined plans to resume hearings for asylum seekers under Migration Protection Protocols (MPP). Court dates have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will resume based on a combination of state and federal guidelines.

In December, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) aimed at reducing the number of asylum seekers living in the U.S. awaiting immigration court proceedings. These directives have come under fire by civil liberties groups claiming a lack of due process protections. Now, DHS Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen is working to clarify the MPP rules to avoid further legal scrutiny.