Donald Trump made one of the most far-reaching moves: he signed an executive order ending the CBP One app, which had facilitated almost one million migrants’ lawful entries. This move came out of the blue and left the thousands of migrants at the border crossings in Mexico without a means to enter, hence pulverizing their hope of asylum or legal entry.
An announcement that had come within hours of Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, effectively scrubbed all asylum seekers’ appointments and plunged this border town and its contiguous neighbor into chaos and uncertainty. So the app was a lifeline for them-the legal route to gain entry. But this is going to be the new chapter for the contentious fight on U.S. immigration policy.
The CBP One app, introduced in 2020 and then expanded in 2023 by the Biden administration, aimed to bring order to the crossings. It would let migrants schedule appointments at U.S.-Mexico border checkpoints, thereby making the asylum process easier and crowding less at the ports of entry. It was one way for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to vet migrants before entry, balancing security and humanitarian considerations.
At the time it was shut down, CBP One had facilitated the entry of nearly one million migrants, with 1,450 daily appointments across eight border crossings. To migrants fleeing violence and poverty, it was a beacon of hope-a means to enter the U.S. legally, safely, and with dignity.
It sent shockwaves through migrant communities-the families clutching appointment confirmations on their phones stood in disbelief at border crossings up and down, like Tijuana, where dreams were extinguished.
Among them was Maria Mercado, who immigrated from Colombia. She stared at her phone, tears streaming down her face. Her family’s long-awaited appointment, which was set for just hours after the app was axed, was now moot.
“We don’t know what we are going to do,” Maria said, shaking. Having fled the cartel violence in Colombia then Ecuador, Maria and her family had hoped to find safety in the U.S. “I’m not asking the world for anything-only God. I’m asking God to please let us get in.”
Around her, the scenes were of despair: migrants embracing, quiet crying, or just blankly staring at a border they could almost touch but no longer cross. Signs advertising the CBP One app—”This will facilitate your processing”—seemed to be cruelly ironic.
The ending of the CBP One app follows an emerging pattern of Trump’s immigration policies, which are acting toward restriction. His administration also recently announced it would reinstate the contentious “Remain in Mexico” policy, which makes asylum seekers stay in Mexico during the processing of their cases in U.S. courts. According to critics, such policies eliminate legal avenues for migrants, leaving many to take a huge risk in treacherous unauthorized crossings.
“The CBP One app provided a humane, orderly way for migrants to seek asylum,” said Carla Mendoza of the immigration advocacy group. “Its termination is a devastating blow, not just to migrants, but to the integrity of the US immigration system.”
Trump justified his actions, however: “We are taking back control of our borders. CBP One was a failed experiment, and we need much stronger measures than that to protect American sovereignty.
The outlook is uncertain for migrants stranded in Mexico, who for months have been waiting for appointments under a program that brings hardship and often danger. Legal options yanked away, some are weighing hazardous, unauthorized crossings.
Experts warn the decision could fuel the humanitarian crisis at the border. “This move will create bottlenecks and push vulnerable people into desperate situations,” said Dr. Elena Ruiz, a migration policy expert. “It’s a step back toward inhumane border management.”
But as policy changes made headlines, a glimpse of the change was already well underway at the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana: Concrete barriers funneled crowds into a labyrinth of checkpoints, migrants clinging to suitcases and babies in their arms. Some wept openly. Others, like Venezuelan father Luis Gonzalez, tried to stay hopeful.
“I don’t understand why this is happening,” Luis said. “We followed the rules. We waited. Now we are left with nothing.” The ripple effects emanated beyond the border. Already jam-packed shelters in Mexican cities struggled to process hundreds of stranded migrants while numerous makeshift signboards touting the by-now-useless app faced off as macabre emblems of things that did not come to pass. Immigration advocacy groups and human rights organizations have decried the end of CBP One as a cruel and unnecessary disruption to a nascent system showing promise. Critics say Trump’s policies undermine legal avenues for asylum and fail to address root causes of migration. This isn’t about an app,” said Roberto Hernandez, director of a migrant aid organization in Tijuana. “It’s about people – families, children – who are fleeing unimaginable circumstances. What we need are solutions, not more barriers.
