WASHINGTON: The White House moved Monday to ban asylum for migrants who cross the US southern border after passing through Mexico, in the latest attempt to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country.

"The United States is a generous country but is being completely overwhelmed by the burdens associated with apprehending and processing hundreds of thousands of aliens along the southern border," said Attorney General Bill Barr in a statement.

"This rule will decrease forum shopping by economic migrants and those who seek to exploit our asylum system to obtain entry to the United States," Barr added.