The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has taken swift action as he begins his new term. His administration ended a border application called CBP One on Monday, January 20, which had allowed nearly a million individuals to legally enter the United States with permission to work.
The Customs and Border Protection website announced the unavailability of the application as soon as Trump officially took office, canceling all previously scheduled appointments through this system at eight entry ports on the Mexico border. This decision fulfills a campaign promise by Trump and appeases critics who believe that the CBP One application attracted an excessive number of people to the border.
The CBP One application operated as an online lottery mechanism that assigned up to 450 daily appointments at the eight mentioned border crossings. Selected individuals entered the United States under a "conditional" immigration status, an authority that has been used more by Joe Biden than any other president since its implementation in 1952.
Regarding the elimination of this program, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed her desire for the CBP One application to be maintained. During her morning press conference on January 20, Sheinbaum highlighted the effectiveness of this system and proposed that if it were to disappear, a similar mechanism be established to allow controlled access to the United States from Central America or other countries.
Sheinbaum also addressed the possibility of mass deportations that could be undertaken by the Trump administration, underscoring the importance of migrants to the U.S. economy. In the event of deportations, Mexico will offer support to repatriated citizens through a series of social benefits, such as the Well-Being Pension for the elderly, the Rita Cetina scholarship for their relatives, Fertilizers for Well-Being, and Tandas for Well-Being, among others.
