SAN DIEGO — Border officials this week began referring some asylum-seeking families caught crossing the border for special screenings to see if they are likely to be harmed in the countries where they would otherwise be expelled.
If a family member “manifests” fear of being sent to the place that officials are planning to expel them, all family members must be screened by asylum officers with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or the family’s asylum claim must be processed under normal protocols, according to government documents obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Which outcome occurs for a given family will likely depend on what resources officials have at that moment.
