ORLANDO, Fla. -- Many of the people being held at the border right now will be claiming political asylum. However, some of the protections for domestic and gang violence victims have been dropped.

  • Protections against some asylum seekers being dropped
  • Jeff Sessions say domestic violence, gang cases not likely to qualify
  • Woman fled El Salvador to escape gang violence

One undocumented woman said that escaping from violence committed by someone other than the government should still be a good enough reason to be protected.

Wendy came here from El Salvador with the help of coyotes -- people who smuggle folks to the United States across the Mexican border.

She is now taking care of her kids alone. Her husband was recently deported. In Spanish, she tells Spectrum News, "All of us who come here, we come here for a better future."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says domestic violence and gang cases are not likely to qualify for political asylum in the United States.

Under the new policy, victims of gang or domestic violence can only qualify for asylum if they can prove their native country won't protect them from additional danger.

This doesn't sit well with Wendy, who fled from El Salvador mainly because of gang violence.

"My kids are young … The gangs can take them away. They can kidnap them, kill them,” she explained. “And I just don't want to risk my kids."

Gail Seeram a Central Florida immigration attorney said any of the individuals at the border seeking asylum based on this criteria are probably going to be denied and returned to their country.

"It's a case law right now. But I am sure there are different groups that are working right now for an appeal to file an appeal to this decision,” Seeram said. “But right now that is the state of the law that is being applied currently today."

Wendy said she is brave enough to talk to Spectrum News because she is trying to highlight an issue with her own humanity. However, given all the policy changes with immigration, Wendy worries she too will share the same fate as her husband.

"Perhaps one day the situation in this country will change and perhaps one day I will be reunited with my husband," she said.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman said, "Asylum and credible fear claims have skyrocketed across the board in recent years, largely because individuals know they can exploit a broken system to enter the U.S."