The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it will speed up the process of screening refugee applicants from Central America, and allow more people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to seek safety in the United States.

The changes are a response to the flood of Central Americans who have sought entry, legally and illegally, into the U.S. in unprecedented numbers since 2014. Parents began sending their underage children alone, creating a crisis on the southern U.S. border where Customs and Border Protection facilities were overflowing with unaccompanied children.