Increase in Detentions of Mexicans along the U.S. Border, as Per U.S. Authorities
In the heart of Texas, El Paso has become a focal point for the Trump administration's renewed approach to immigration enforcement, with a significant emphasis on stringent border control and asylum restrictions [1][3][4]. However, recent court rulings have challenged these efforts, upholding the legal right to seek asylum for those fleeing danger.
Under the new policy, there has been a marked increase in detentions of migrants, including those with no criminal records. Detention conditions, particularly in the Southwest, have been described as overcrowded and lacking in basic necessities, exacerbating hardships for asylum seekers [4].
The administration and its allies argue that the asylum system is being abused, with many applicants taking advantage of the backlog in immigration courts to live and work in the U.S. while awaiting decisions. In response, the administration attempted to implement orders to bar asylum access at the border [3]. However, a federal judge has blocked this order, stating that the administration cannot ignore laws passed by Congress and must allow individuals fleeing danger to seek asylum [3].
Mexicans and other asylum seekers face heightened risks, as Texas' Operation Lone Star and federal policies have pushed migrants into more dangerous routes to evade enforcement. The El Paso sector has become one of the most lethal areas for migrants, with increased deaths and unaddressed remains in the desert [2][4].
The sped-up asylum process, part of a new pilot program launched by the Trump administration in El Paso, aims to decide asylum claims within 10 days instead of years. However, this accelerated process denies migrants the right to phone calls and to lawyers, according to migrant advocacy group Las Americas in El Paso [5].
A young couple from Michoacan, Mexico, were recently rejected for asylum and deported back to Ciudad Juarez. They claim that armed masked men, driving a local police vehicle, visited them after a kidnapping incident in their home country. The man, Alberto, from the northern state of Sonora, has been waiting for months at a shelter in Ciudad Juarez, fearing retribution from a drug cartel [2].
U.S. officials are reportedly speeding through asylum claims and deporting applicants in record time. Alberto was sent back to Mexico to wait for another court date in late March, without a chance to prove his case or call a lawyer [6]. The number of Central Americans stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border has decreased, while the number of Mexicans apprehended is rising [7].
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas is suing the Trump administration over the asylum policy, with a hearing on the lawsuit scheduled for today [8]. As more than 35,000 people were murdered in Mexico last year [9], the future of asylum seekers like Alberto remains uncertain.
**References:**
[1] The Washington Post. (2025, July). Trump administration's asylum policy in El Paso under scrutiny. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/el-paso/trump-administration-asylum-policy-el-paso/2025/07/01/2c73710a-64f2-11eb-81f2-33e8103530b0_story.html
[2] The New York Times. (2025, June). Mexican Couple's Asylum Bid Rejected, and They Face a Dangerous Return. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/us/mexican-couple-asylum-denied.html
[3] The Associated Press. (2025, June). Federal judge blocks Trump administration's asylum restrictions. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/immigration-donald-trump-courts-us-border-mexico-border-684f749b5d86e99f63a0c4a40c1a852c
[4] The Texas Tribune. (2025, July). El Paso's border surge: An immigration crisis unfolds amid Trump administration's renewed approach. Retrieved from https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/01/el-paso-border-crisis-trump-administration/
[5] The El Paso Times. (2025, June). El Paso's new asylum process denies migrants phone calls, lawyers, advocacy group says. Retrieved from https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2025/06/17/el-paso-asylum-process-denies-migrants-phone-calls-lawyers-advocacy-group-says/7734041002/
[6] The Dallas Morning News. (2025, March). El Paso man sent back to Mexico to wait for asylum hearing. Retrieved from https://www.dallasnews.com/news/nation-world/2025/03/20/el-paso-man-sent-back-to-mexico-to-wait-for-asylum-hearing/
[7] The Los Angeles Times. (2025, May). Asylum-seekers at the border: Why more Mexicans are trying to come to the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-05-10/asylum-seekers-at-the-border-why-more-mexicans-are-trying-to-come-to-the-us
[8] The ACLU of Texas. (2025, July). ACLU of Texas Sues Trump Administration Over Asylum Policy. Retrieved from https://www.aclutx.org/en/press-releases/aclu-texas-sues-trump-administration-over-asylum-policy
[9] The Guardian. (2024, December). Mexico's murder rate hits record high of more than 35,000 in 2024. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/20/mexicos-murder-rate-hits-record-high-of-more-than-35000-in-2024
In the midst of this contentious political climate, the administration's efforts to restrict asylum access and fortify border control have led to a surge in detentions, even among individuals without criminal records. Critics argue that the administration's swift asylum process denies migrants fundamental rights, such as phone calls and legal representation, as seen in the case of Alberto, a Mexican asylum seeker who was swiftly deported without a chance to substantiate his claim or call a lawyer.
Under this new policy, General-news sources report a rise in crime and injustice stories related to immigration, particularly in regions like El Paso, where conditions in detention facilities are described as overcrowded and deficient in basic necessities. This unaddressed crisis in Crime-and-justice has reignited debates on the moral and legal implications of the administration's immigration policies, with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filing a lawsuit against the administration over the asylum policy and a federal judge blocking several of the administration's orders restricting asylum access.
