Mexico has begun busing migrants to the U.S. border by appointment, using a controversial phone app introduced by the Biden administration that allows migrants to be paroled into the United States.
Posted by Mexico's National Migration Agency video The Mexican government said the buses were the first to transport “foreigners” from Tapachula in the south of the country, close to Guatemala, to Reynosa, near the U.S. border, where the migrants would attend appointments scheduled through the CBP One app. The buses are part of a “New Safe Migration Corridor” launched by the Mexican government last month.
The CBP One app has been expanded under the Biden administration to allow up to 1,450 migrants per day to schedule parole appointments at U.S. ports of entry if they meet certain conditions. The app also allows people to upload documents before making an appointment.
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The video shows migrants being transported in buses by the Mexican government. (Inami)
The Biden administration has said the app is a key part of its immigration strategy to expand “legal” migration pathways while increasing funding for the border, and it has also allowed up to 30,000 nationals from the four countries to fly directly into the U.S. after approval using the app.
But Republicans have accused the administration of abusing humanitarian parole, which is supposed to be applied on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public interest. They say the administration is letting immigrants into the country quasi-legally, pointing to figures that show more than 95% of immigrants who show up for reservations are allowed into the country.
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The Mexican government announced plans in a press release last month to transport foreign nationals to the U.S. border as part of a “safe migration corridor.” Mexico said it would issue 20-day temporary visas and provide transportation and food to those with confirmed CBP One appointments.
The video shows the migrants speaking with Mexican officials. (Inami)
The app was recently heavily criticized by a report from the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, which found vetting issues among other problems with the app.
“CBP uses personal and biometric information submitted to CBP One to determine whether arriving aliens have adverse records, but does not utilize that information to identify suspicious trends as part of the pre-arrival screening process,” the report states.
Meanwhile, immigration has become a central election issue after a three-year crisis on the southern border has repeatedly broken records, and the Biden administration is seeking support for a bipartisan Senate bill to increase funding for the border, which it blames on a lack of funding from Congress.
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DHS also noted that arrests have fallen sharply since President Biden signed an order authorizing authorities to temporarily suspend illegal immigration across the border. Officials say the order has led to a 50% drop in arrests since then. They also say they have returned more than 131,000 people to 144 countries, including 420 international repatriation flights. Officials also say the percentage of foreigners in their custody who went through expedited return processes to Mexico has tripled.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have blamed the crisis on the administration's policies and a rollback of what they see as successful Trump-era policies. Trump has pledged to end parole and launch a massive deportation operation if elected in November.
