Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' policy is back.

I’m Isaac Saul, and this is Tangle: an independent, ad-free, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum — then “my take.”

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Today’s read: 11 Minutes

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Quick hits.

1. Shortly after the U.S. government issued a “high threat” of a terrorist attack in Kabul, two explosions have been reported — one outside the airport and another a suicide bombing near a hotel — on Thursday morning. Local media are reporting 13 people have been killed and dozens more injured. This is a developing story. (The news)

2. Covid-19 cases are rising in 46 states now, with an average of 1,000 Americans dying a day. (The latest)

3. Newly sworn-in New York Gov. Kathy Hochul added nearly 12,000 Covid-19 deaths to the state’s total while pledging more transparency than her predecessor Andrew Cuomo. (The update)

4. President Biden and new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett postponed their meeting today after news of the explosions in Afghanistan. (The meeting)

5. U.S. jobless claims stayed near a pandemic low, with 353,000 new claims last week. (The numbers)

What D.C. is talking about.

The border. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration had to reinstate a Trump-era program known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while awaiting a court hearing in the U.S. The policy is formally known as Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). It sparked controversy not just because it left some asylum seekers waiting in dangerous border cities or unsanitary conditions, but because critics said it violated international law and migrants’ right to seek asylum protection in the U.S.

When the Trump administration announced the policy in 2018, it was immediately challenged and blocked by a judge in California — and wasn’t being regularly enforced until 2020. Then, shortly after the pandemic began, the