The U.S. gave them asylum. But new rules would've doomed their cases.
A proposal would redefine who qualifies for U.S asylum, disqualifying victims of gang violence, gender-based persecution and domestic abuse.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez is an award-winning reporter covering immigration for CBS News, where his reporting is featured across multiple CBS News and Stations platforms, including the CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com and CBS News Radio.
Montoya-Galvez is also part of CBS News' team of 2024 political campaign reporters.
Montoya-Galvez joined CBS News in 2018 and has reported hundreds of articles on immigration, the U.S. immigration policy, the contentious debate on the topic, and connected issues. He's landed exclusive stories and developed in-depth reports on the impact of significant policy changes. He's also extensively reported on the people affected by a complex immigration system.
Before joining CBS News, Montoya-Galvez spent over two years as an investigative unit producer and assignment desk editor at Telemundo's television station in New York City. His work at Telemundo earned three New York Emmy Awards.
Earlier, he was the founding editor of After the Final Whistle, an online bilingual publication featuring stories that highlight soccer's role in contemporary society.
He was born in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, and raised in northern New Jersey.
He earned a bachelor's degree in media and journalism studies/Spanish from Rutgers University.
A proposal would redefine who qualifies for U.S asylum, disqualifying victims of gang violence, gender-based persecution and domestic abuse.
In July, U.S. border officials made 2,506 arrests of unaccompanied children. Only 168 were allowed to stay and seek refuge.
As the leaders of DHS, Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli have emerged as some of the most vocal supporters of President Trump's hard-line immigration agenda.
The "public charge" rule gives officials more power to deny green cards to applicants found to rely — or be at risk of relying — on government assistance.
The civil servants in charge of adjudicating asylum requests said a proposed rule could place migrants eligible for protection in harm's way.
The Trump administration has placed scores of migrant children in hotel rooms before expelling them from U.S. soil, denying them the opportunity to seek asylum.
Despite the Supreme Court's decision throwing out Trump's attempt to end DACA, thousands of young immigrants who would be eligible for the program are not allowed to apply.
Under the new rule, the U.S. will start charging for asylum applications for the first time in its history.
"No person should hesitate to seek medical care, nor should they endure punishment or penalty if they seek temporary financial aid as a result of the pandemic's impact," the judge wrote.
The move effectively closes the program to hundreds of thousands of potential new applicants, including roughly 66,000 immigrant teens who turned 15 after September 2017.
A group of migrants previously held at a Texas hotel are no longer facing imminent removal. But others will continue to be expelled under a CDC order.
More than 2,000 migrant children who arrived at the border unaccompanied have been expelled and prevented from seeking asylum under a public health directive.
"Nothing assures me that I would be able to see my son again," one asylum-seeking mother detained by ICE told CBS News.
The president's legal authority to issue such an order is unclear and the move is expected to face lawsuits.
Lawyers representing families held by ICE say the lead lawyer in a landmark case over detention conditions for migrant minors is supporting a "coercive family separation process."