Asylum-seekers like Claudia start on the path to an illegal crossing long before they actually reach the banks of the Rio Grande, relying on guidance from an informal network of well-meaning friends and often-unscrupulous smugglers. For years, asylum-seekers have taken that path almost by default, making it unrealistic to expect them to abruptly change approach in response to shifting political currents in the United States, according to interviews with migrants, immigration experts and U.S. law enforcement.
Every month, thousands of asylum-seeking families cross the Rio Grande and turn themselves in to Border Patrol rather than line up at a port of entry.  Since October, more than 40,000 family members traveling together have presented themselves at the ports of entry without proper documentation.
The Trump administration sought to curb illegal crossings by imposing a “zero tolerance” crackdown at the border this summer that left more than 2,500 children, including Claudia’s son, separated from their parents.