US officials have begun shutting the Southern borderĀ in response to the Central American exodus causing hundreds of refugees and migrants to flee.

The majority of the first asylum seekers to arrive at the border on Tuesday identified as transgender, raising concerns for LGBTI safety and rights.

The continued discrimination and violence Central American LGBTI refugees face when seeking asylum in the US has been highlighted by Amnesty International, saying thousands have been killed or disappeared along the route north.