Donald Trump administration officials shut down a mobile app designed for migrants to schedule appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border mere minutes after the new president took office on Monday, Jan. 20.
By disabling the CBP One app, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials effectively cancelled all pending appointments made by migrants without visas who were seeking entry into the United States through legal ports of entry.
This move marks part of a broader effort by the new administration to impose stricter measures at the border, despite a significant decrease in migration over the past six months.
According to CBP data, U.S. officials encountered 96,048 foreign nationals at the border in December. Of those, 48,722 sought formal admission at a port of entry.
The last time monthly encounters dipped below 100,000 before November was in January 2021, coinciding with former President Biden’s inauguration. That month, CBP reported 78,414 encounters, with only 3,098 individuals presenting at ports of entry. The remainder were intercepted by Border Patrol agents after crossing the border illegally.
CBP One had been a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s strategy to direct migrants toward legal avenues for seeking refuge in the United States.
President Trump is expected to sign ten executive orders on Monday addressing border policy, including measures to dismantle pathways introduced during the previous administration.
These actions aim to revert to earlier policies, such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Under this program, approximately 70,000 third-country nationals were returned to Mexico over two years to await decisions on their U.S. asylum applications.