US and El Salvador sign asylum deal

WASHINGTON _The U.S. signed an asylum agreement Friday with El Salvador, one of the world's most violent countries. American and Salvadoran officials described the deal as shoring up El Salvador's own asylum system and its capacity to provide for its citizens, in turn discouraging them from migrating.

While the specifics of the agreement remain unknown, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said in a news conference Friday "one potential use" is to limit asylum-seekers passing through El Salvador from claiming asylum in the United States. He offered no timeline.

But with most asylum-seekers traveling north to the U.S. border going around El Salvador - seeking to avoid