US plans for more migrant releases when asylum limits end

By REBECCA SANTANA and ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security says more migrants may be released into the United States to pursue immigration cases when Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week. In one of its more detailed assessments ahead of the major policy shift, the department reported faster processing for migrants in custody on the border, more temporary detention tents, staffing surges and increased criminal prosecution of smugglers. But the seven-page document includes no major structural changes amid unusually large numbers of migrants entering the country. El Paso, Texas, is currently the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. A Texas congressman says some border officials estimate about 50,000 migrants could be waiting to cross into the U.S. when restrictions are lifted.