In a win for Mexico, US will expand areas for migrants to apply online for entry at southern border
MEXICO CITY — The Biden administration will expand the areas where migrants can apply online to enter the United States to much of southern Mexico, officials said Saturday, easing pressure on Mexican authorities and reducing dangers for people trying to reach the U.S. border to seek asylum.
Migrants can book appointments through the CBP One app from the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, expanding the zone to include northern and central Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The move comes in response to a request from Mexico, an increasingly close U.S. partner in the fight against extraordinary migration flows.
The change will save migrants the trip north through Mexico to get one of the 1,450 appointments available daily, CBP said. The agency said it will happen soon but did not provide a date.
“We continue to collaborate with our partners within the Mexican government and work together to adapt policies and practices in response to the latest migration trends and security needs,” CBP said in a statement.
The statement echoed comments made a day earlier by Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena, who said closer ties with the United States had significantly reduced migration since late last year.
US officials have said increased Mexican enforcement is largely responsible for a sharp drop in U.S. arrests for illegal border crossings in the first half of this year. Mexican officials have stepped up their presence at checkpoints on highways and rail lines leading to the U.S. border, sending most back to southern Mexico.
In June, the US temporarily suspended asylum procedure for those entering the country illegally, making CBP one of the few avenues for migrants to enter the U.S. to seek asylum and further reduce illegal entries. U.S. officials said arrests for illegal crossings fell by 30% in July from last month to the lowest level of Joe Biden’s presidency and the lowest level since September 2020.
“We have managed to decompress our (northern) border in a very meaningful way and that has helped … make our relationship with the United States very, very dynamic and very positive,” Bárcena said Friday.
More than 680,000 people have CBP One appointments scheduled at eight U.S.-Mexican border crossings from its January 2023 launch through June. The top nationalities are Venezuelan, Cuban and Haitian. U.S. authorities recently limited slots for Mexicans due to the high number of applicants from the country.
The dangers of traveling through Mexico to avoid being kidnapped or robbed have prompted many migrants to fly to northern border cities like Tijuana for their CBP One appointments, once they reach the southernmost point from which they can check in — until now, that has been Mexico City.
Migrants generally enter Mexico from Guatemala via Chiapas or Tabasco. Mexico City may offer more job opportunities and relative safety, but the cost of living is higher, leading some to live in informal camps in the country’s capital.
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Santana reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.