HOUSTON — The United States government on Friday expanded its requirement that asylum seekers wait outside the country to a part of the Texas Rio Grande Valley across from one of Mexico’s most dangerous cities. DHS says it anticipates the first asylum seekers will be sent back to Mexico starting Friday. ADVERTISEMENTUnder the so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy, asylum seekers are briefly processed and given a date to return for an immigration court hearing before being sent back across the southern border. Standing outside the processing center, Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon criticized conditions inside the facilities and other Trump administration programs cracking down on asylum seekers. About 1,800 asylum seekers and migrants are currently waiting in Nuevo Laredo, where some have reported being kidnapped and extorted by gangs.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 19, 2019 23:03 UTC