U.S. will reportedly start sending some asylum seekers to Mexico

The San Ysidro port of entry.
(Image credit: Ariana Drehsler/AFP/Getty Images)

Starting on Friday, some asylum seekers trying to enter the United States will be forced to wait in Mexico while their cases go through the courts, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Previously, most asylum seekers were allowed to stay in the United States while waiting for their court hearings. This new policy change will not affect unaccompanied minors or asylum seekers from Mexico. The plan is to first implement the changes at the San Ysidro border crossing in California, the busiest crossing in the country. At first, just 20 claims will be processed a day, with the ultimate goal being at least 100 a day.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.