What Happens To Migrants and Asylum Seekers if Trump Becomes President?

The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy, Migrant Protection Protocols and asylum bans were some of the policies that restricted asylum access during his first term. What would another term mean for asylum seekers?

Immigration is one of the top issues in the upcoming presidential election, with particular focus on what President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will do when it comes to asylum, especially after the government of Texas bussed migrants, crossing into the U.S. since the spring of 2022, to Democrat strongholds in Chicago and New York City. In NYC, an estimated 201,000 asylum seekers have passed through the city since 2022, many of whom were passengers on these Texas-funded buses. An estimated 64,000 migrants still remain under NYC’s care.

As a newsroom that serves NYC immigrants, we asked our Spanish-speaking readers what they are most concerned with regarding the upcoming election. Fifty-two percent of 170 respondents said they need more information about what will happen to asylum.