Where Sources Agree

• arrows_inputDiscrepancy in Crime Assessments: Sources align on the State Department providing internal assessments to asylum officers that minimize crime risks in Latin American nations by comparing them to US cities, noting this contradicts public travel warnings issued for those same regions, according to internal documents reviewed by CNN.
• arrows_inputAsylum Denial Surge: Coverage confirms that 94 percent of asylum cases were denied in June, marking a dramatic increase from the 50 percent denial rate recorded two years ago, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
• arrows_inputAnnual Human Rights Report Delay: Reports broadly predict a disruption to asylum evaluations as the State Department’s annual human rights report remains delayed beyond its typical March or April release window, according to the State Department reporting schedule.

Where Sources Disagree

• arrows_outputAsylum Assessment Methodology: Internal State Department documents argue that violent crime rates in several Latin American countries compare favorably to those in major U.S. cities. However, policy experts contend these assessments ignore critical factors like organized crime collusion and the absence of trustworthy institutions capable of providing protection.
• arrows_outputTravel Warnings vs. Internal Assessments: The State Department publicly warns Americans about violent crime in Latin American nations, while internal assessments provided to asylum officers argue that crime rates in those same countries are comparable to or lower than those found in major U.S. cities.