Implications of restrictive asylum policies: evidence from metering along the U.S.-Mexico Border

Growing refugee flows worldwide have sparked restrictive asylum policies across developed countries. In the USA, the earliest and most notable example was “metering,” which limited the daily number of individuals who could claim asylum at ports of entry. Using data on monthly apprehensions of single adults, individuals in family units, and unaccompanied children by border patrol sector and nationality from 2013 through 2020, we show how metering increased undocumented flows of migrants targeted by the policy. We then use individual-level data on Mexican and Central American deportees apprehended before and after the implementation of metering to learn about responsible mechanisms. We document longer waits at the border and increased migrant despair, as captured by higher propensities of crossing without a smuggler and experiencing harsh, life-threatening conditions. Altogether, we learn about the ineffectiveness of the policy in curtailing unauthorized migration and its humanitarian consequences.