Biden officials weigh tougher asylum ban at Mexico border

FILE PHOTO: Migrants are detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into the United States from Mexico, in Sunland Park, New Mexico, U.S. August 2, 2024. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Biden administration officials are weighing whether to toughen an asylum ban to maintain lower levels of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border since the ban went into effect in June, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The ban is designed to be lifted if the number of migrants caught crossing the southern border illegally drops below an average of 1,500 per day for one week, followed by a two-week waiting period.