Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns U.S. flags near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, right, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, raises his fist as U.S. flags are burning near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, right, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, 2nd left, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, 2nd left, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

The shadow of Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, casts on a burning U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Gregory "Joey" Johnson, right, whose burning of an American flag in Texas in 1984 led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the act as free speech, burns a U.S. flag near Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an anti-Trump rally in in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer stands near a statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

People pause to view a statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan is seen after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A statue of Theodore Roosevelt is seen outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A woman pauses to look at a statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan after it was announced that the statue will be removed amid anti-racism protests across the United States in New York City, New York, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A short stretch of the meandering Rio Grande - the river that marks the border between the United States and Mexico - has been for a long time a focal point for migrants looking to head north, seeking a better life. In the first half of 2019, it became a scene of chaos and misery as unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers arrived, mostly Central Americans. Families fleeing poverty and gang violence sought to cross at a record rate, overwhelming the border patrol agents on the U.S. side. As summer gave way to autumn, the numbers declined dramatically. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, passed a series of measures to curb entry and pressured Mexico to make its own border more secure. As a result of the new policies, tens of thousands of migrants have been turned back across the border to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their immigration cases and the U.S. government has more tools to deny asylum seekers outright. The U.S. border patrol said total apprehensions at the southwest border hit a high of nearly 133,000 in May 2019. By November that decreased to some 34,000. Reuters photographer Adrees Latif has spent much of the last year in the Rio Grande Valley, documenting the extraordinary scenes. REUTERS/Adrees Latif SEARCH "RIO GRANDE PATROL" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. Matching Text: USA-IMMIGRATION/ASYLUM SEEKERS. TEMPLATE OUT

A short stretch of the meandering Rio Grande - the river that marks the border between the United States and Mexico - has been for a long time a focal point for migrants looking to head north, seeking a better life. In the first half of 2019, it became a scene of chaos and misery as unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers arrived, mostly Central Americans. Families fleeing poverty and gang violence sought to cross at a record rate, overwhelming the border patrol agents on the U.S. side. As summer gave way to autumn, the numbers declined dramatically. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, passed a series of measures to curb entry and pressured Mexico to make its own border more secure. As a result of the new policies, tens of thousands of migrants have been turned back across the border to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their immigration cases and the U.S. government has more tools to deny asylum seekers outright. The U.S. border patrol said total apprehensions at the southwest border hit a high of nearly 133,000 in May 2019. By November that decreased to some 34,000. Reuters photographer Adrees Latif has spent much of the last year in the Rio Grande Valley, documenting the extraordinary scenes. REUTERS/Adrees Latif SEARCH "RIO GRANDE PATROL" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. Matching Text: USA-IMMIGRATION/ASYLUM SEEKERS. TEMPLATE OUT

Demonstrators march to protest the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez government's decision to end the mandate of an anti-graft mission in the country backed by the Organization of American States (OAS), in Tegucigalpa Honduras January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

A demonstrator holds a Honduran national flag during a march to protest the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez government's decision to end the mandate of an anti-graft mission in the country backed by the Organization of American States (OAS), in Tegucigalpa Honduras January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

Demonstrators march to protest the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez government's decision to end the mandate of an anti-graft mission in the country backed by the Organization of American States (OAS), in Tegucigalpa Honduras January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

Demonstrators hold a Honduran national flag during a march to protest the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez government's decision to end the mandate of an anti-graft mission in the country backed by the Organization of American States (OAS), in Tegucigalpa Honduras January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

Anti-government protesters carry American flags as they demonstrate at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China, September 29, 2019. REUTERS/Susana Vera

An anti-government protester carries an American flag during a demonstration at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China September 29, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

An anti-extradition bill protester carries an American flag during the march at Mongkok, in Hong Kong, China, August 3, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

An anti-extradition bill protester carries an American flag during the march at Mongkok, in Hong Kong, China, August 3, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

One of the American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, are displayed for the media in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, are displayed for the media in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Members of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government look at the American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, displayed for the media in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Members of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government display for media the American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

A member of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government holds one of American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

A member of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government looks at American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Members of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government display for media American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Members of forces allied to Libya's internationally recognized government display for media American Javelin anti-tank missiles, which were confiscated from eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar in Gharyan, in Tripoli, Libya June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Palestinian women step on representations of Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest against Bahrain's workshop for U.S. peace plan, in the southern Gaza Strip June 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

A man rides a bike in front of a main Haitian police station, where according to local media a group of foreign nationals including Americans armed with semi-automatic weapons were detained, after anti-government protests, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

A woman carries a deck in front of a main Haitian police station, where according to local media a group of foreign nationals including Americans armed with semi-automatic weapons were detained, after anti-government protests, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

A man carries a bag in front of a main Haitian police station, where according to local media a group of foreign nationals including Americans armed with semi-automatic weapons were detained, after anti-government protests, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 18, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

A flag of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property flies as anti-abortion marchers rally at the Supreme Court during the 46th annual March for Life in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

REFILE - CLARIFYING CAPTION Anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, founder of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), speaks to reporters at the "Rally for the American Dream-Equal Education Rights for All", ahead of the start of the trial in a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

REFILE - CLARIFYING CAPTION Anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, founder of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), speaks to reporters at the "Rally for the American Dream-Equal Education Rights for All," ahead of the start of the trial in a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, founder of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), speaks to reporters at the "Rally for the American Dream-Equal Education Rights for All," ahead of the start of the trial in a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, founder of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), speaks to reporters at the "Rally for the American Dream-Equal Education Rights for All," ahead of the start of the trial in a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, founder of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), speaks to reporters at the "Rally for the American Dream-Equal Education Rights for All", ahead of the start of the trial in a lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

French Minister attached to the Interior Minister Jacqueline Gourault poses for a family photo with Germany's State Secretary for the Interior Stephan Mayer, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Jean-Marc Chataigner, Ambassador and French Special Envoy for Sahel, during a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

French Minister attached to the Interior Minister Jacqueline Gourault poses for a family photo with Germany's State Secretary for the Interior Stephan Mayer, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Poland's Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski, Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, European Commissioner Julian King, and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos during a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

French Minister attached to the Interior Minister Jacqueline Gourault poses for a family photo with Germany's State Secretary for the Interior Stephan Mayer, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Jean-Marc Chataigner, Ambassador and French Special Envoy for Sahel, during a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

French Minister attached to the Interior Minister Jacqueline Gourault poses for a family photo with Germany's State Secretary for the Interior Stephan Mayer, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Poland's Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski, Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, European Commissioner Julian King, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and Jean-Marc Chataigner, Ambassador and French Special Envoy for Sahel, during a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

French Minister attached to the Interior Minister Jacqueline Gourault poses for a family photo with Germany's State Secretary for the Interior Stephan Mayer, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, Poland's Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski, Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, European Commissioner Julian King, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos and Jean-Marc Chataigner, Ambassador and French Special Envoy for Sahel, during a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

Jacqueline Gourault, French Minister attached to the Interior Minister, welcomes Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, as Interior Ministers of the six largest EU countries arrive for a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

Jacqueline Gourault, French Minister attached to the Interior Minister, welcomes Claire Grady, American government official, Acting Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security, as Interior Ministers of the six largest EU countries arrive for a meeting to discuss security and anti-terror issues at the Groupama Stadium in Decines near Lyon, France, October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

John Prendergast, an American human rights and anti-corruption activist, speaks to members of the media after briefing the United Nations Security Council during a meeting on maintenance of international peace and security at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Segar

John Prendergast, an American human rights and anti-corruption activist, greets United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley before briefing the U.N. Security Council during a meeting on maintenance of international peace and security at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Segar