TIJUANA, Mexico — Families arriving from Haiti, Venezuela, and various countries walked towards the U.S. border in Tijuana, dragging rolling suitcases filled with clothes and toys for their children. They were anxious but hopeful as they held their cell phones, which displayed imminent appointments for entering the United States legally. However, that hope quickly turned into despair when U.S. Customs and Border Protection made an unexpected announcement, declaring that the CBP One app, which had facilitated the entry of nearly one million migrants since January 2023, would no longer be in use.
Numerous appointments scheduled through February were abruptly canceled, leaving many migrants without any recourse or support to address their situation. Maria Mercado, waiting with her family near the border, faced a heavy emotional toll as she learned their appointment had been delayed by four hours. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she expressed her anxiety about what they would do next. Originally from Colombia, she had fled years of drug cartel violence to Ecuador, only to face further dangers and eventually make her way to Mexico, hoping for a better life in the U.S.
Around her, fellow immigrants shared in the collective sorrow. Many were left in shock, unsure of their next steps. A nearby sign still urged hopeful migrants to download the CBP One app, claiming it would aid their processing at the border. The app had garnered immense popularity among migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Mexico, but now they found themselves stranded, either at the border or deeper within Mexico.
Jairol Polo, a 38-year-old Cuban who had spent six months trying to secure an appointment, was devastated to find that his long-awaited appointment in Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, had been canceled upon his arrival. “Imagine how we feel,” he remarked sadly as he smoked a cigarette, reflecting the sentiments of countless other disappointed migrants.
Meanwhile, some individuals who had morning appointments managed to cross the border. Andrum Roman, a 28-year-old from Venezuela, noted that crossing provided a sense of increased safety, yet uncertainties remained about what lay ahead. Close on his heels, another Venezuelan named Rober Caruzi shared his own experiences of being turned away twice before finally crossing. He now stood at the border feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty.
As the day progressed, the app went offline. Originally designed as a lottery system, CBP One granted appointments to 1,450 individuals daily across eight border crossings. It operated under a presidential authority known as immigration “parole,” a tool used extensively by the Biden administration to create legal entry pathways while addressing illegal border crossings.
The cancellation of CBP One coincides with former President Trump’s campaign promises and aims to curb what critics viewed as a magnet for migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite an initial problematic rollout, the app played a crucial role in the Biden administration’s strategy of balancing legal pathways with strict enforcement against illegal immigration. Many migrant shelters throughout Mexico were now filled with those who desperately sought appointment slots, as statistics revealed around 280,000 people attempted to access the limited slots daily.
The ending of CBP One brings back the “Remain in Mexico” policy, a remnant of Trump’s presidency that forced around 70,000 asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. immigration court hearings. Matthew Hudak, a retired Border Patrol deputy chief, opined that the dissolution of the app might lead more individuals to attempt illegal crossings, emphasizing that any effective response must include consequences for those bypassing legal pathways.
For many, the news of the CBP One app’s sudden discontinuation was shocking. Juan Andrés Rincón Ramos, a 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant, shared his earlier feelings of joy at securing a long-awaited asylum appointment. After five years in Peru and several months in Mexico, his aspirations of a new life crumbled with the cancellation notice. “It was a moment of hope, but it didn’t last,” he lamented, expressing the collective disillusionment felt by many in the migrant community. “Everyone trusted in the American dream, but we were all wrong.”
