U.S. courts have limited the government's ability to hold children in immigration jails, so "banning" Central Americans who enter illegally could have little practical effect. A denial of their ability to seek asylum could also matter little. Fewer than 10 percent of Central American applicants are granted asylum by U.S. immigration judges, according to the latest statistics, but many have used the process as a way to gain entry to the United States and remain in the country while their claims slowly proceed through the legal system.