TIJUANA, Mexico — Approximately 200 immigrants whose CBP One immigration appointments were canceled during President Trump's swearing-in are refusing to leave the San Ysidro border crossing until seen.
“I had an appointment tomorrow at 1 p.m.,” said Erica Ramirez, 50, who traveled from southern Mexico with her 24-year-old son, his wife, and their young children to escape rampant crime in their hometown. Ta.
“We've been waiting 11 months for that appointment,” she told The Post on Monday. “I'll wait here until I get a reservation.”
Ramirez and her family spoke at noon, when President Trump took office and immediately suspended the use of CBP One, the Customs and Border Protection app that the Biden administration had used to admit about 900,000 immigrants. He is one of many asylum seekers whose long-awaited immigration reservations have been cancelled. They are expected to flow into the country during the final two years of his term.
The app has enabled more than 1,400 people to schedule appointments with immigration officials at U.S. ports of entry each day and then enter their states. This means that approximately 43,000 immigrants have been given the opportunity to enter the country through CBP One each month since the app's introduction. In January 2023.
President Trump stripped it down as one of several sweeping actions on his first day to address the border crisis, which he declared a national emergency in his inaugural address.
A young Cuban couple at the San Ysidro border crossing had made a reservation for 1 p.m., just an hour after the app eliminated all reservations due to President Trump's inauguration.
Luis Miguel Alvarez, 22, and Adriana López, 20, announced that they moved to Mexico City after being persecuted by the Cuban government. The two had been waiting to secure their CBP One appointments since taking office in November 2023, but were finally given a date and time on January 2, an hour after Trump was inaugurated for his second term. Ta.
“I found out at 9 a.m. this morning that my appointment was canceled,” Alvarez told the Post. “I am shocked that my appointment has been cancelled, but there is still hope.”
The two intended to apply for political asylum.
In Cuba, López was studying robotics and Alvarez studying nuclear engineering, but they were allegedly kicked out of the courses because of their political beliefs. He said he was unable to return due to harassment by Cuban police and that his current residence in Mexico was dangerous.
“We understand that the new president wants to protect our country and our borders, but we are not criminals,” Alvarez said. “We want to study, work and serve America.”
Migrants were also filmed crying on the Mexican side of the border after learning their long-awaited appointments were canceled because the app was shut down.
Some, like Ramirez, refuse to retire until they receive a long-promised appointment.
She had planned to spend the night at the border crossing with her son, wife, and daughters, who are 1 year and 4 months old.
“We sleep right here,” she said. “My home state of Guerrero is very dangerous. There's a lot of violence.”
“My son is a builder and I’m a janitor,” she said.
“We come to America to escape the crime and terror of our home countries and seek a better life.”
Mr. Alvarez and Mr. López were similarly excited about the appointment, adding that they had no plans to sneak across the border.
“Breaking the law is not an option. We have been waiting since 2023 because we want to enter America the right way,” Alvarez said.
