Name: Tijuanas shelters thin out after Trump asylum crackdown
Uploaded: 2025-11-20T16:46:05.697Z
Duration: 3 min 33 s
Description: Illegal border crossings to the United States have plummeted since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, with apprehensions at the southwest border down nearly 90%, rapidly altering the corridor between San Diego and Tijuana, one of the busiest international crossings in the world, in less than a year.

Illegal border crossings to the United States have plummeted since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, with apprehensions at the southwest border down nearly 90%, rapidly altering the corridor between San Diego and Tijuana, one of the busiest international crossings in the world, in less than a year.

Tijuana

Shelters in Tijuana, Mexico, have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of migrants seeking refuge since the implementation of stricter U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump. Official data shows a 90 percent decrease in illegal border crossings, with shelters like Juventud 2000 and Ambassadors of Jesus reporting far fewer occupants compared to previous years.

Many migrants, unable to return to their home countries due to fears of persecution, are now settling in Tijuana or other border areas, seeking legal status in Mexico and starting businesses. The suspension of asylum claims and heightened enforcement have deterred many would-be migrants from attempting to enter the United States, with shelter directors and residents highlighting the need for compassion and understanding from the American public.

Tijuana's shelters thin out after Trump asylum crackdown

Life at the southern U.S. border has visibly changed since President Donald Trump took office. Illegal crossings have plummeted, with apprehensions at the border down 90 percent, according to official U.S. data. The rapid change is plain to see at the Mexico side's many migrant shelters, especially in Tijuana, whose crossing into San Diego, known as El Chaparral, is one of the busiest in the world. As many as 200 migrants once slept on the concrete floors of the Juventud 2000 shelter, some overflowing onto the sidewalk. Shelter director Jose Maria Garcia says today that's closer to 20 visitors. This year, with things changing completely and the lack of any aid programs for these communities, people are settling in the city, and perhaps some are trying to cross the border. But the reality is that the vast majority are staying here in Tijuana, or in the border areas. Garcia is not alone seeing change since Trump rescinded rights of asylum seekers, vowed to deport record number of migrants, and set aside $170 billion to immigration enforcement. Other shelters report drastic reductions too. The Ambassadors of Jesus shelter, a hilltop complex of dormitories, a church and a school, has seen guests fall by more than half from 1,200 a year ago. People are practically just waiting for Donald Trump's term to end to see what happens. The people who are staying with me are people who can't go back to their country or their city. Mexican speaking, Venezuelans say that if they go back to their country, they'll be punished. Cubans say the same thing. So what Venezuelans and Cubans do is get papers here in Mexico. And as we can see, they've already started their businesses and are waiting to see what happens. Under U.S. law, the Biden administration welcomed asylum seekers for those with a credible fear of torture or persecution in their home countries. Migrations surged to historic levels and the diversity of their home countries multiplied. Then on January 20th, Trump invoked emergency powers to suspend asylum claims. The asylum shutdown and images of ramped up immigration enforcement around the U.S. scared off would-be immigrants from leaving home. The Asabil shelter for Muslims has received migrants from less traditional source countries within the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Abu Bakr Adam Ishak, the shelter's imam, himself arrived in Tijuana two weeks before Trump's January inauguration. You've had your own plans, but then with his coming, you knew that everything has shattered and you don't have anything to do and nowhere to go. Adam says he fled what he called political persecution in Ghana. He was asked if he had a message for Americans who have shut migrants out. I think they need to have compassion. They need to hear everyone's story. Not everyone is a bad person. And people have a lot to offer when they come in. Yes, we know how the situation is. They are trying to deal with violence and all that. But then people come from different backgrounds where they need to hear their story, know that these people are coming from these kind of places, and they need relief and also a place to call home.

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