Tuesday, January 21, 2025 - A number of migrants broke down in tears after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday, Jan. 20, that the CBP One app would no longer be used to admit migrants.
The migrants came from Haiti, Venezuela and around the world
to a series of north-Mexico border crossings. After months of waiting, they
finally had appointments to legally enter the United States.
However, their hope and excitement evaporated into despair
and disbelief moments after President Donald Trump took office.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday
that the CBP One app that worked as recently as that morning would no
longer be used to admit migrants after facilitating entry for nearly 1 million
people since January 2023.
Tens of thousands of appointments that were scheduled for
February were cancelled, applicants were told.
In Tijuana, where 400 people were admitted daily on the app
at a border crossing with San Diego, Maria Mercado had to work up the courage
to check her phone.
Tears ran down her cheeks after she finally looked. Her
family’s appointment was for 1 p.m. on Jan. 20, four hours too late.
“We don’t know what we are going to do,” she said, standing
with her family within view of the United States.
She left Colombia decades ago after it was overrun by drug
cartel violence, heading to Ecuador. When cartels besieged her new homeland,
the family fled again, in June, this time to Mexico, hoping to reach the U.S.
“I’m not asking the world for anything — only God. I’m
asking God to please let us get in,” she said.
Immigrants around her hugged or cried quietly. Many stared
ahead blankly, not knowing what to do. A nearby sign urged people to get the
CBP One app. “This will facilitate your processing,” it said.
CBP One has been wildly popular, especially with
Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians and Mexicans. Now, they were stranded at the U.S.
border or deeper in Mexico.
Jairol Polo, 38, tried getting an appointment for six months
from Mexico City before getting one for Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Matamoros,
across from Brownsville, Texas. The Cuban man flew Monday, Jan. 20, from
Mexico’s capital to learn at the Matamoros-Brownsville border crossing that his
appointment was cancelled.
“Imagine how we feel,” he said dejectedly while smoking a
cigarette.
People with morning appointments got through on schedule.
Andrum Roman, a 28-year-old Venezuelan, was in the last group to cross the
border with the CBP One in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas.
“We are a little safer now because we are here,” he said
just before handing over his documents to U.S. authorities. “But you still
don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Another Venezuelan, Rober Caruzi, entered El Paso right
behind him. “I reached the border twice and I was returned twice, but I didn’t
lose hope,” he said.
By afternoon, shortly after those who had an earlier
appointment were lucky to enter the US, the app went down, leaving migrants
distraught.
CBP One is effectively a lottery system that gives
appointments to 1,450 people a day at one of eight border crossings. People
enter the U.S. on immigration “parole,” a presidential authority that former
President Joe Biden used more than any other president since it was introduced
in 1952.
Watch the video below.
Migrants in Ciudad Juárez who were waiting for their 1 pm CBP1 parole appointments learned 20 minutes ago that the app has shut down & those appointments are no longer valid. pic.twitter.com/F3pNrZyEBR
— Arelis R. Hernández (@arelisrhdz) January 20, 2025
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