BTN News: The Biden administration has announced a new plan to help migrants from Mexico. Now, people from the states of Chiapas and Tabasco can make online appointments to enter the United States. This decision should help ease the pressure on the Mexican government and make it safer for migrants traveling to the northern border of Mexico to seek asylum.
Migrants can now use the CBP One app to schedule appointments from Chiapas and Tabasco. Before this change, only people in the northern and central parts of Mexico could use the app. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said this change was made after a request from Mexico. This decision will help manage the large number of people trying to migrate.
With this change, migrants will not have to travel all the way north to get one of the 1,450 daily appointments. The CBP said this new rule will start soon, but they did not give an exact date.
The CBP said they are always working with Mexican authorities to change their policies based on the latest migration trends and security needs. This announcement follows comments from Mexico’s Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena. She said that better relations between the two countries have helped reduce migration since last year.
Mexican authorities have been more vigilant, leading to fewer migrants being caught crossing the U.S. border without permission in the first half of this year. Mexican officials have set up more checkpoints on roads and railways leading to the U.S. border. Most migrants caught are sent back to southern Mexico.
In June, the U.S. stopped processing asylum claims for those entering the country without permission. This made the CBP One app one of the few ways migrants could seek asylum in the U.S. As a result, unauthorized border crossings decreased by 30% in July compared to the previous month. This was the lowest number of crossings during President Biden’s time in office and the lowest since September 2020.
Foreign Minister Bárcena said the pressure on Mexico’s northern border has eased significantly. She praised the strong and positive relationship between Mexico and the United States for this success.
Since the CBP One app started in January 2023, over 680,000 people have used it to make appointments at eight land crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border. Most of these migrants come from Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti. Recently, U.S. authorities have limited the number of slots for Mexican nationals because of the high number of applicants from Mexico.
Crossing Mexico can be dangerous, with risks like kidnapping and assault. Many migrants choose to fly to northern border cities like Tijuana for their CBP One appointments. This journey often starts in southern Mexico, in states like Chiapas or Tabasco. Migrants then travel north to Mexico City before heading to the border. While Mexico City offers more job opportunities and relative safety, the high cost of living forces some migrants to live in informal camps.
The new access to the CBP One appointment system from Chiapas and Tabasco is an important step. It will reduce the risks and hardships for migrants. By addressing the challenges and dangers of long journeys north, this new policy aims to provide a safer and more organized way for migrants to seek asylum in the United States.
The Biden administration’s decision to expand the CBP One app to include southern Mexican states is a big step in managing migration better. This plan, supported by strong cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican governments, shows a real effort to create safer and more humane conditions for migrants. It also addresses the bigger challenges of migration in the region.
