Migrants from many countries were previously able to cross the US border on foot and turn themselves in to officials to begin asylum proceedings. But since May 12, it’s become much harder, and those turned down are banned from re-entering the US for the next five years. Many are now trying to secure appointments through a US government app, but spaces are limited.
A bottleneck continues to build in Mexico near the US-Mexico border, as a public health order invoked by the Trump administration remains in place and shuts out many migrants and asylum-seekers from entering the United States.
The incoming Biden administration has said it will overturn policies such as the bilateral agreements the Trump administration made with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to keep asylum-seekers away from the US-Mexico border.