U.S. President Joe Biden¡¯s move this week to block migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border aims to reduce the record numbers of crossings and shield him from Republican criticism, but is a turn away from his campaign promise to restore access to asylum.

Initial backlash to Biden¡¯s policy shift also signals it could be challenged in court, from both those who favor restricting immigration and advocates for asylum-seekers.

The Democratic president on Thursday announced a new two-pronged strategy that pairs deterrence measures blocking Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border while opening new legal, limited pathways into the United States for them.