Migrants waiting to enter the United States via its southern border are in distress following U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping decision to suspend asylum claims after returning to the White House. After fleeing gangsters in her native Colombia, it took Deisy Ortiz and her three-year-old son eight months to reach Mexico's border with the United States, struggling every step of the way. "It was horrible, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Mexico is very dangerous, and we had to fight, beg for money, sell sweets at stoplights, sleep on the streets. You can't believe how hard life is as a migrant until you've lived it," said Ortiz. Ortiz felt a burst of renewed hope once she finally reached Tijuana and could see California beyond the border wall. Then came the news Monday that her asylum appointment had been cancelled following Trump's inauguration, which,for Ortiz, was almost too much to bear. "I cried a lot. Having your hopes dashed, having to start all over again, worrying over my little one's future, whose life is only just beginning," said Ortiz. It's estimated that some 270,000 asylum hopefuls waiting in Mexico had their hopes dashed Monday, among them Erica Juarez from Peru. "It's very sad. We've been through so much, hunger, sleeping in the streets. My heart is very broken," said Juarez. For many migrants, reaching the border city of Tijuana represents the end of a journey of thousands of kilometers. The question of what to do now and where to go is causing a lot of anxiety. With legal pathways closed to them, migrant Joao Chavez from Peru says many are now considering ways around the law. "Everyone is looking at how to enter the U.S. illegally. Finding smugglers, looking for gaps in the wall, routes over the mountains. These are thoughts that go through your mind when you're penned in, you look for more extreme options," he said. With many migrants unwilling to retrace their steps and fearful of remaining in Mexico, human smugglers operating in the border region may find 2025 to be a banner year for their illicit trade. SHOTLIST: Tijuana, Mexico - Recent 1. Various of Colombian migrant Deisy Ortiz holding child; 2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Deisy Ortiz, Colombian migrant (starting with shot 1/partially overlaid with shot 3): "It was horrible, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Mexico is very dangerous, and we had to fight, beg for money, sell sweets at stoplights, sleep on the streets. You can't believe how hard life is as a migrant until you've lived it."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Various of Ortiz walking, carrying child in arms; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 4. Various of cityscape, borderline; 5. Various of Ortiz sitting on staircase; 6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Deisy Ortiz, Colombian migrant (starting with shot 5/ending with shot 7): "I cried a lot. Having your hopes dashed, having to start all over again, worrying over my little one's future, whose life is only just beginning."; 7. Various of Ortiz, other migrants in migrant center; 8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Erica Juarez, Peruvian migrant (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 9): "It's very sad. We've been through so much, hunger, sleeping in the streets. My heart is very broken."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 9. Juarez having meal in mess hall; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 10. Various of migrants in migrant center; 11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Joao Chavez, Peruvian migrant (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 12): "Everyone is looking at how to enter the U.S. illegally. Finding smugglers, looking for gaps in the wall, routes over the mountains. These are thoughts that go through your mind when you're penned in, you look for more extreme options."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 12. Aerial shots of Tijuana, border; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 13. Various of street, neighborhood; 14. Various of pedestrian crossing sign. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]