TIJUANA, Mexico — About 200 migrants who had their CBP One immigration appointments canceled when President Trump was sworn into workplace are refusing to depart the San Ysidro border checkpoint till they’re seen.
“We had an appointment for tomorrow at 1 p.m.,” stated Erica Ramirez, 50, who traveled from southern Mexico along with her 24-year-old son, his spouse, and their younger youngsters within the hopes of escaping rampant crime of their hometown.
“Now we have been ready for the appointment for 11 months,” she advised The Publish Monday. “We are going to hold ready right here till we get an appointment.”
Ramirez and her household are amongst scores of asylum seekers who had their long-awaited immigration appointments canceled at midday when Trump took workplace and instantly halted using CBP One — a Customs and Border Safety Company app the Biden administration used to permit about 900,000 migrants to move into the nation over the past two years of his time period.
The app allowed greater than 1,400 folks each day to schedule appointments with immigration officers at US ports of entry, after which make their method into the states — that means about 43,000 migrants monthly have been being given possibilities to enter the nation by way of CBP One because it was launched in January 2023.
Trump stripped it away as one in all a number of sweeping Day 1 acts to handle the border disaster, which he declared a nationwide emergency throughout his inaugural handle.
A younger Cuban couple on the San Ysidro border checkpoint had an appointment at 1 p.m. — simply an hour after the app scrapped all appointments as Trump took energy.
Luis Miguel Alvarez, 22, and Adriana Lopez, 20, had relocated to Mexico Metropolis after being persecuted by Cuba’s authorities, they stated. The pair had been ready to safe a CBP One appointment since they made the transfer in November 2023 and on Jan. 2 have been lastly given a time and date — for one hour into Trump’s second time period as president.
“We discovered our appointment was canceled at 9 a.m. this morning,” Alvarez advised The Publish. “I’m devastated that our appointment was canceled however we nonetheless have hope.”
The pair had meant to say political asylum.
In Cuba, Lopez was learning robotic engineering and Alvarez was learning nuclear engineering however was allegedly kicked out of his programs for his political views. He stated they couldn’t return as Cuban police harassed them and that Mexico, their present residence, was harmful.
“We perceive that the brand new president desires to defend his nation and its borders however we aren’t criminals,” Alvarez stated. “We need to research, work and be of assist to america.”
Some migrants have been filmed weeping on the Mexican facet of the border after they noticed that their long-awaited appointments had been canceled with the app’s closure.
Others — like Ramirez — are refusing to depart till they get the appointment they have been lengthy promised.
She deliberate to spend the evening on the border checkpoint along with her son, daughter-in-law, and their 1-year-old and 4-month-old daughters.
“We are going to sleep on this very website,” she stated. “The state the place I’m from, Guerrero, may be very, very harmful. There’s a variety of violence.”
“My son is a builder and I’m a cleaner,” she stated.
“We’re going to America for a greater life, fleeing from crime and the concern we’ve in our personal nation.”
Alvarez and Lopez have been equally holding out hope for an appointment, including that sneaking throughout the border was by no means of their playing cards.
“It’s not an choice to interrupt the legislation. We need to enter America the fitting method, which is why we’ve been ready since 2023,” Alvarez stated.