As violence flares in Mexico, Trump policy under scrutiny

SAN DIEGO (AP) — As drug cartel violence flares in Mexico, a Trump administration program that forces asylum seekers to wait south of the border is under scrutiny.

The case of a woman from El Salvador highlights the issues associated with the U.S. government’s “remain in Mexico” program. About 55,000 immigrants have been forced to wait in Mexico under the program.

The Salvadoran woman was kidnapped and beaten by gangs in Mexico but was still forced to wait in the country while her case winds through the backlogged court system. A judge terminated her case, but the government still sent her to Mexico anyway.

The Department of Homeland Security says the program is “an indispensable tool in addressing the ongoing crisis at the southern border and restoring integrity to the immigration system.”