Burgeoning numbers of Cubans trying to enter US via Mexico

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Burgeoning numbers of Cubans are trying to get into the U.S. by way of the Mexican border, creating a big backlog of people waiting on the Mexican side for months for their chance to apply for asylum.

The surge over the past several months has been propelled in part by loosened traveled restrictions in Central America and deteriorating living conditions in Cuba.

About 4,500 people, the vast majority of them Cuban, are waiting in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for their asylum interviews.

For Cubans and others, one of the biggest obstacles is simply getting an opportunity to apply for asylum. Over the past year, the Trump administration has sharply limited the number of asylum claims it processes at land crossings. That has forced people to wait their turn in Mexico.