Seth and JJ discuss the recent situation at the US-Mexico border. After discussing how asylum works, they go into the policy changes, which include prosecuting all crossers, separating all children, making asylees apply at a port of entry, and slowing down case management at ports. They look at relevant laws, 8 U.S. Code § 1325 , 1158, 1225, as well as the Flores agreement and question the legal basis of the Trump administration's position. JJ finishes by discussing the 2018 TIP Report's concerns about institutionalizing children and by explaining how U and T visas can assist victims of human trafficking who have crossed our borders.

Sources:

* Unaccompanied Alien Children, Office of Refugee Resettlement,

* Asylum & the Rights of Refugees, International Justice Resource Center

* Undocumented Migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America, International Crisis Group

* Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean: A Threat Assessment, UNODC

* Can You Request Asylum at a U.S. Border or Entry Point?, AllLaw

* Requesting Asylum at U.S. Border? What to Expect at Credible Fear Interview, NOLO

* “Catch and release,” explained: the heart of Trump’s new border agenda, Vox

* What You Need to Know About Catch and Release, White House

* Yes, illegal aliens have constitutional rights, The Hill

* Immigrant Rights Groups Push Obama for Bolder Executive Action, The Nation

* Immigrant Rights Groups Will Start Protesting Obama Again, HuffPost

* What Obama did with migrant families vs. what Trump is doing, Vox

* The 1,500 “missing” migrant children: an immigration expert explains what you need to know, Vox

* The Trump administration’s separation of families at the border, explained, Vox

* Trump’s separation of families at the border: a visual explainer, Vox

* How Trump Came to Enforce a Practice of Separating Migrant Families, The New York Times

* DHS denies separating families seeking asylum, Axios

* 8 U.S. Code § 1325 - Improper entry by alien,