TIJUANA, Mexico — A nurse named Karla Figueredo, who recently escaped Cuba during the country’s most significant migration wave in over sixty years, found herself in need of temporary accommodation in Tijuana while she awaited authorization to enter the United States. At the same time, Martha Rosales, a long-time resident of the area, was seeking urgent medical assistance after sustaining injuries from a dog attack.
A mutual friend connected the two women, and Figueredo stayed with Rosales for three days in October 2023. During this time, she provided medical assistance for Rosales’ dog bite wounds while they both awaited an appointment to cross the border through the CBP One app. As she prepared to leave for the U.S., Figueredo received Rosales’ permission to share her contact information with other migrants in need of shelter.
Quickly, Rosales’ home transformed into a refuge for migrants, becoming part of a network of at least thirty-six shelters catering to those using the CBP One app. “I told God that if they didn’t amputate my feet, I would help every Cuban,” shared Rosales, 45, who was reliant on a wheelchair when Figueredo first arrived to help her heal.
The CBP One program has facilitated the entrance of nearly one million people into the U.S. on two-year permits that grant work eligibility; however, its future is uncertain with the impending presidential transition. Figueredo, now 25 and working as a medical assistant in Houston, maintains contact with Rosales, who has opted to focus on her role as a shelter provider after resigning from her job as a bank janitor.
The migrants welcomed into Rosales’ home, primarily from Cuba, affectionately call her “Tía Martha.” She tends to their needs with homely warmth, preparing pancake breakfasts, celebrating birthdays, and driving them to their CBP One interviews.
Advocates argue that CBP One has helped alleviate chaos at the border and decrease unauthorized crossings. However, the incoming president has promised to abolish it as part of a broader crackdown on immigration. Critics assert that this initiative favors a lottery-based system at the expense of those who have lived in the U.S. unlawfully yet have contributed taxes and waited years for visa approval.
Dayron Garcia, a Cuban doctor who learned of Rosales through family, applied for refuge with his wife and children, intending to settle in Houston with a friend. He described Rosales’ home as a familial place and expressed gratitude for the “salvation” provided by the CBP One program. “It’s a guarantee,” Garcia, 40, said. “You enter with papers, with parole.”
The CBP One program first emerged during Trump’s presidency and adapted under Biden. It initially served customs brokers and then expanded to assist migrants as a means to navigate a complex asylum process linked to pandemic restrictions.
Particularly favored among Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and Mexicans, the app’s usage has surged partly due to local advocates within these communities. Statistics indicate a dramatic drop in illegal crossings for Cuban migrants; from a high of nearly 35,000 in April 2022 to a mere 97 in September of the same year.
With the demand for CBP One appointments exceeding available slots dramatically—an average of 280,000 applicants vying for just 1,450 daily slots—migrant shelters at the U.S.-Mexico border are now primarily filled with individuals desperately seeking to secure online appointments.
Nestled in a neighborhood filled with dilapidated houses, Rosales provides a safe haven for these migrants. They engage in activities like watching television and playing games while they await their opportunities to cross. Those still without appointments work diligently on their phones to snag available slots, a process likened to attempting to score tickets for a major concert.
Rosales maintains an intense work schedule throughout the night, utilizing an SUV purchased with her retirement funds to shuttle guests to the border. Starting around midnight, she transports her guests to their early appointments, engaging with them warmly along the way.
After her route, she continues her work at a local television station, where she spends about four hours cleaning and gathering coffee for the staff, who in return keep her updated with immigration news.
Working from her phone, she also receives messages from migrants eager for shelter, noting their party size and appointment dates in her contacts. Rosales, whom family life as one of thirteen siblings shaped, only completed third grade yet gained basic literacy from reading the Bible. She often responds to inquiries using voice notes or phone calls.
With help from Enrique Lucero, Tijuana’s former director of migrant affairs, Rosales established her shelter legally, gaining crucial support during emergencies—like ensuring that a woman who had missed her CBP One appointment due to childbirth received assistance.
The situation in Cuba has led to a surge in border arrests, particularly following the anti-government protests of 2021. The easing of travel restrictions for Cubans in Nicaragua allowed many to bypass the dangerous journey through the Darien Gap. Consequently, by the spring of 2022, Cubans comprised nearly the second largest group of individuals crossing illegally into the U.S., trailing only behind Mexicans.
“CBP One came like a gift from God,” expressed Yoandis Delgado, noting security felt in Rosales’ neighborhood compared to other accommodations. “She lives in the same condition that we do, not any better,” he remarked, appreciating the sense of safety that Rosales’ home offered.
Concerns regarding the future of CBP One are surfacing, especially amid fears of its termination by the incoming administration. Migrants express unease as the two-year permissions provided by the program are set to expire. Although the transition team has not made clear statements on the program’s fate, opponents assert that it is excessively lenient and may lead to increased immigration.
Figueredo, the nurse who once aided Rosales, hopes to secure a green card through a 1966 law specifically for Cubans. She expresses her commitment to her profession and future goals through her correspondence with Rosales, conveying her busy work life while checking in on Rosales’ health, always wishing her happiness and success.
