The US expands the number of appointments to request asylum for migrants in the CBP One app

The US authorities on Thursday expanded the spaces to request asylum at land crossings with Mexico through a mobile application for the second time in less than a month, seeking to dispel doubts that it is not a viable option.

There are now 1,250 citations at eight land crossings, up from 1,000 previously and 740 in early May.

Increasing “reflects our commitment to continue expanding legal options for migrantssaid Blas Nuñez-Neto, undersecretary for border policy and immigration at the Department of Homeland Security. “We will continue to expand border appointments as our operations allow in terms of capacity.”

During a visit to Harlingen, Texas, Nuñez-Neto said that the CBP One app is a “safe and tidy option”. He announced the expansion a week after Texas filed a lawsuit to end what the state government considers an illegal method of boosting immigration.

Demand has far exceeded supply since the January 12 kickoff, leading many to consider crossing the border illegally or giving up. Enrique Lucero, director of immigration affairs for the city of Tijuana, said the latest increase would have little impact considering how many are waiting.

“It is not a big thing. It is still very little and it is not yet going to solve the lag“Lucero said.

After pandemic-related asylum restrictions ended on May 11, President Joe Biden’s administration continued to take a carrot-and-stick approach at the border, introducing a blanket asylum ban for people traveling through other countries. countries, such as Mexico, and enter the United States illegally.

The US authorities are trying to lead people towards “legal pathways” such as CBP One and parole for up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who apply online, have a financial sponsor and arrive by air.

CBP One is for people of any nationality who apply in central and northern Mexico and enter by land.

Thursday’s expansion was greeted with cautious optimism and mild indifference among some of the 150 people, mostly families with young children, camped out on a sidewalk at a Tijuana border crossing leading into San Diego, hoping that officials Americans admit them without an appointment from CBP One.

They said it appeared authorities were allowing about one family every several hours, enough to create an increasing bottleneck over the last week as word spread that it was an alternative.

Carlos Vásquez, 25, arrived in southern Mexico from Honduras in January with his pregnant wife and 4-year-old daughter and began testing the app daily once he was in central Mexico. He was frustrated and, on Monday, he began sleeping in the border camp, hoping that US officials would take pity on his family.

Vasquez said the increase to 1,250 a day was good news, but not enough to make a major impact.

“We are many and there are few who fall“, said.

Sergio Hernández, 35, managed to make an appointment on May 24 after more than five months of daily effort. Appointments are scheduled up to two weeks in advance.

Hernandez, a Guatemalan who plans to apply for asylum while living with a childhood friend in Kansas City, Missouri, said he received countless “system error” messages before confirming a spot. He once got a date on the screen of his phone, but email confirmation never came.

“They are getting better and better little by little.“, said.

Hernández, who was traveling alone, said perceptions persist that large families are at a disadvantage, which US authorities deny.

Beatriz Melchor, 47, said she will wait to see if the latest increase has an impact. She has been testing the app for about six weeks with her husband and son and said the changes announced in early May have produced no noticeable benefit.

The changes included giving higher priority to asylum seekers who have been testing the app the longest, and making appointments available throughout the day instead of all at once, which led to a craze.

“We have been trying for more than a month and there are people who have nine days, four days, and they have their appointments“, said.

Melchor said returning to his hometown in the Mexican state of Guerrero was not an option. The criminals blocked the exits and entrances and she had to escape. If the app doesn’t work, she’s prepared to wait, even though she said Tijuana isn’t safe.