Why. The law states people have the right to apply for asylum no matter how they entered the United States. Many would argue this is a human right under natural and international law, but it is also a statutory right under federal immigration law. Shooting aliens on U.S. soil on the basis of unlawful presence alone is not only unconscionable, but also a direct violation of immigration law.
Quote, 8 U.S. Code § 1158 paragraph (a),
“Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title.”
I hope this information changes your outlook.
~Max