"With narco-violence spiking south of the border, U.S. officials report a sharp increase in the number of Mexicans seeking and gaining asylum because they fear for their lives in their homeland, along with a continuing flow from Guatemala, El Salvador and elsewhere.
The influx represents an evolving form of asylum — not based on the typical criteria of political or religious persecution in an authoritarian country. And that creates a challenge for the U.S. government..."