As he faces mounting political pressure over the flow of immigrants at the US southern border, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday that will temporarily end asylum applications in the US.
The decision comes as the average number of illegal immigrants has reached 2,500 per day, according to a senior administration official quoted by US media.
The shutdown will take effect immediately after the limit has already been met, a senior administration official said.
The border will reopen only after that number drops to 1,500. The president's order is implemented under Sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which suspends the entry of noncitizens crossing the southern border into the United States illegally.
Senior administration officials said Tuesday in a call with reporters that "individuals who cross the southern border illegally or without authorization generally will not be eligible for asylum, absent extremely compelling circumstances, unless they are admitted by proclamation ".