In recent months, the southern border has seen a drastic increase in apprehensions from migrants of Central America. These migrants travel through Mexico in order to reach the U.S. border and when arriving they turn themselves in to begin their request for asylum.  This new restriction has specifically targeted those migrants travelling through Mexico since once they travel through a third country they are prohibited from seeking asylum in the U.S.

 

There are some exceptions for this new rule. For example, any asylum seeker whose application has been denied in another country, any person that has suffered from human trafficking, and anyone who has travelled through a third country that has not signed any international refugee agreement.

 

This rule is a precedent of Trump’s attempt to reduced asylum seekers from Central America.  In an earlier policy enacted by the Trump Administration, asylum seekers are required to wait in Mexico for their application to be processed.

 

This new policy is expected to face various legal challenges from groups and activists supporting asylum seekers. In the mean time, main focus should be directed into how this new policy will affect thousands of migrants awaiting for their asylum application to be approved and whether or not it will curtail migration into the Southern Border.

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Joshua Ojeda Sanchez