Yamiche Alcindor:

Most of the passengers were returning to San Diego for their asylum hearings, too.

After spending a night in a Mexican hotel paid for by a nonprofit, the migrants we followed went to the border. They have to cross on foot and wait for U.S. immigration authorities to take them to their hearings.

Armed guards direct them on and off of buses with metal screens and bars. We couldn't film inside the court, but we were able to sit in Agustin's hearing. The judge said her application was still incomplete and suggested she get legal help.

Only about 1 percent of those seeking asylum have legal representation. The U.S. doesn't offer free legal assistance to asylum seekers. Advocates say most migrants can't afford to hire an attorney. They also say many attorneys who might help for free are too scared to travel to dangerous parts of Mexico where migrants wait out their cases.

According to an ACLU federal lawsuit, the Trump administration is impeding asylum seekers from exercising their right to counsel. The families we have been following have been told they have to come back for yet more hearings in January.

This means they will be sent back to Mexico yet again. Some will likely give up. One of the most vulnerable people we met, kidnapping victim Delmary Arias, was actually granted asylum. She is now living in the Washington, D.C. area.

Activists and immigration lawyers say she is a rare case, even if she doesn't feel particularly lucky.