JUST IN: Trump Shuts Down Migrant Entry App

President Donald Trump’s administration has shut down the CBP One app, a programme that allowed migrants to schedule legal entry into the United States through official ports. The move, which came just hours after Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, signals the beginning of a tougher approach to border enforcement.

A notice on the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website confirmed the app’s deactivation, stating that all scheduled appointments had been cancelled. The CBP One app was introduced by the Biden administration in 2023 as a way to provide a regulated pathway for asylum seekers. The programme permitted 1,450 migrants per day to schedule appointments for processing, with over 900,000 people having used it to enter the U.S. since its launch.

The sudden shutdown has left tens of thousands of migrants stranded at the U.S.-Mexico border, many of whom had already reached designated entry points for their scheduled appointments. In Tijuana’s El Chaparral border crossing, confusion and frustration spread as migrants checked their phones to find their appointments had disappeared.

“I am in shock,” said Maura Hernandez, a mother of four from Michoacán, Mexico, who had traveled to Tijuana for her appointment. “I don’t know what is going to happen to us.”

Gustavo Selva, a Venezuelan migrant, had waited seven months for his appointment, originally set for late January but delayed until February 9. He had already made the journey from Chiapas to Tijuana, believing he was days away from legal entry into the U.S.

“We thought we could enter today without a problem,” Selva said. “Now we will be stranded here indefinitely.”

A former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official estimated that around 30,000 migrants had active CBP One appointments at the time of the shutdown, with an additional 300,000 waiting in Mexico, hoping to secure entry through the system.

The Biden administration had promoted CBP One as an essential tool for managing migration at the southern border. The app was part of a broader strategy that combined asylum restrictions for illegal crossings with legal pathways for those seeking protection. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had recently defended the model, calling it a “safe, lawful, and orderly” approach to migration.

The closure of the app marks a dramatic shift in immigration policy under the Trump administration. Critics of CBP One, particularly Republican lawmakers, argued that it acted as a loophole allowing migrants to stay in the U.S. for years while awaiting court decisions.

“The fact that this application exists is the most underreported scandal of the Biden administration,” Vice President JD Vance posted on social media last week. “They made an application to facilitate illegal immigration. It boggles the mind.”

Matthew Hudak, a former senior Border Patrol official, said the move was a clear signal that stricter policies were imminent.

“Simply wanting to immigrate to the U.S. and signing up to get in line will be replaced by more stringent policies,” Hudak said. “Many will be left to decide whether to follow the legal process or attempt to enter the country illegally, facing much harsher consequences.”

The Trump administration is expected to introduce further restrictive measures, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait outside the U.S. while their claims are processed. The shutdown of CBP One is widely seen as the first step in a broader crackdown on migration.