The renewed emphasis on enforcement is working, immigration analysts say, but only as a short-term measure.
Two weeks after the asylum restrictions kicked in on June 4, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 25% decrease in daily encounters along the southern border.
In the long run, these policies will not deter irregular immigration, says Adam Isacson, an analyst with the Washington Office on Latin America, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C.