Almost immediately upon entering office for the second time, President Donald Trump issued an executive order essentially ending asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Asylum seekers who legally entered the United States just beforehand now face an upended immigration court system and no clear path forward. Those who didn’t make it are stuck in border cities like Nogales, where an overburdened asylum system in Mexico is struggling to keep up with the new demand.
This coverage includes a three-part series, along with near-monthly coverage that hones in on asylum seekers on both sides of the border and the policies that are shaping their new reality.
AUDIO COMPILATION ▶
3-PART CHASING ASYLUM SERIES
-
Federal court data shows more than 2.3 million asylum applications are pending in the U.S. this year. But for Kamel Maklad, even winning protection didn't mean freedom. -
Trump administration foreign aid cuts are pinching Mexico’s already overburdened asylum process. That means long wait times for refugees who, barred from entering the United States, are turning to Mexico for safety. -
The Trump administration cut most of the federal funding for a program providing free legal counsel to unaccompanied immigrant children who are seeking asylum in the U.S. The money was restored under court order, but attorneys say the lapse sent organizations into a tailspin that’s still playing out today.
MORE ASYLUM COVERAGE
-
President Donald Trump’s order to close the border to asylum seekers leaves thousands of migrants from across Central and South America in limbo in Mexico. -
It’s been almost a week since scores of asylum seekers who entered the U.S. under the CBP One app were told they had seven days to leave the country. Some 900,000 people have had appointments through the Biden-era program since its January 2023 launch. -
President Donald Trump’s policies have virtually stopped the flow of migrants to Nogales, Sonora. But some remain, unable to return home and unable to enter the United States.
Confusion among asylum seekers, aid workers as CBP One asylum process abruptly ends
CBP One — the government-run app for asylum seekers at the border — has been abruptly shuttered after a series of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump.
‘Fear and uncertainty’ at the border as Trump’s executive orders take hold
President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders on Monday, including several that change how asylum seekers ask for protection in the U.S. and even challenging birthright U.S. citizenship. From renaming the Gulf of Mexico, to invoking a centuries-old wartime authority, Trump’s first 24 hours were busy.
2 months into Trump's 2nd term, asylum seekers in Nogales hold out hope
It's been two months since President Donald Trump closed the door on asylum seekers. But a sliver of hope remains for those who have few options other than to wait in Mexico.
Asylum requests are on the rise as Trump administration narrows legal pathways for immigrants
Seeking asylum is a right under U.S. and international law. Asylum seekers facing immigration court typically arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, where asylum was heavily restricted during the last months of President Joe Biden’s administration and completely blocked under President Donald Trump’s.
Asylum seekers try Mexico after the U.S. shuts its doors
After President Donald Trump ended asylum appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border in January, some migrants in Mexico are turning to the overwhelmed asylum system there to find stability.