The Trump administration has unveiled a new rule that will make it harder for migrants arriving at the southern border to seek asylum in the U.S.
The so-called joint Interim Final Rule was announced Monday by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
The agencies said it will "add a new bar to eligibility" for asylum-seekers who didn't apply for protections in at least one "third country" on their way to the U.S. border.
For example, that means a migrant traveling north from El Salvador wouldn't be eligible for asylum in the U.S. if they didn't seek asylum in Guatemala or Mexico first. There will be some exceptions — for example, if they applied for asylum in a third country but were ultimately denied.
The move is part of the Trump administration's efforts to discourage Central American asylum-seekers from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
The rule will go into effect after it's published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. But, as The Wall Street Journal notes, it will probably face immediate legal challenges.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
