US expands curfews for asylum-seeking families to 13 cities as an alternative to detention

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. authorities are sharply expanding the reach of curfews for the heads of asylum-seeking families while they wait for initial screenings after crossing the border. The curfews from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. began in May in four cities and are being extended Friday to 13 locations, with Boston, Providence, Rhode Island, and three California cities being latest additions. And a U.S. official says the program is expected to reach 40 cities by the end of September. The expansion signals comfort with early results of what is intended as an alternative to detention. Asylum-seekers who pass the initial screenings are generally allowed to pursue their asylum cases in court without a curfew. Those who don’t are supposed to be deported.