Migrants at the US-Mexico border face heartbreak
The day Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th President of the United States marked a sharp turn in immigration policies. At noon on Monday, the CBP One app—used by thousands of migrants to secure asylum appointments—was abruptly taken offline, leaving many at the border in tears.
CBP One, a digital tool allowing migrants to schedule asylum interviews, had facilitated up to 1,450 appointments daily. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the app was deactivated as part of the newly inaugurated president’s broader border security measures.
Part of Trump’s sweeping border reforms
The shutdown of CBP One is among a series of reforms promised by Trump during his campaign trail. As he takes the reins for his second term, the president is expected to issue 11 executive orders aimed at bolstering border security. These include repealing the mass parole program introduced under former President Joe Biden and deploying U.S. troops to the southern border under NORTHCOM.
A Trump administration official told Fox News, “This executive order sends a clear message that the United States intends to exercise its sovereignty over its land and borders and that the Armed Forces have a role to play in protecting our borders.”
In addition to troop deployment, Trump plans to classify criminal organizations such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), underlining his administration’s tough stance on national security threats.
Scenes of despair at the border
Videos shared by journalists at the border reveal heart-wrenching scenes of migrants weeping upon learning their appointments were canceled. Many of these individuals had pinned their hopes on the CBP One system, which, from January 2023 to August 2024, facilitated entry for approximately 800,000 migrants. Another 530,000 arrived in the U.S. on humanitarian flights during the same period.
Trump’s campaign pledge: “Get ready to leave”
Donald Trump’s approach to immigration reform was a key focus of his campaign. He frequently criticized Biden’s humanitarian policies, including the use of parole flights to transport migrants into the U.S. “I would revoke it, and they get out. And the app is bad, but the worst is the flights (parole) because they tried to say, ‘We are going to toughen up the border a little bit,’” Trump told Fox News.
He also issued a stern warning to migrants during his campaign: “Get ready to leave, especially quickly if they’re criminals. Get ready to leave because you’re going to be going out real fast.”
Looking ahead
Trump’s inauguration signals a seismic shift in U.S. immigration policy. With additional announcements anticipated in the coming days, the immediate impacts of these reforms are already being felt by vulnerable communities at the border.
This dramatic policy reversal underscores the ideological divide in the nation’s approach to immigration and raises questions about its humanitarian implications. For now, the migrants at the border face an uncertain future, left grappling with both the physical and emotional toll of these sweeping changes.
