USA – Updates from an (Un)Changed Landscape
On May 11th, the U.S. government lifted Title 42—the public health order that had effectively closed the border in the spring of 2020. It was a long-awaited change. You might expect a lot has changed at the US – Mexico border in Ambos Nogales since Title 42 was lifted. While the Biden Administration has implemented new policies, the reality on the ground for migrants has not meaningfully improved.
Today, we want to give you an inside look into the day-to-day reality of our team and for our siblings in migration. We’ll give you an overview of the policies and the impact they’re having right now in Ambos Nogales and beyond. Where possible, we have collected vignettes—snapshots from migrants, partners, and members of our staff which demonstrate the human impact of these policies.
Throughout, we know you will notice we are still extremely far away from anything resembling a humane, workable, and just migration system. Instead of migration with dignity, we are witnessing unnecessary harm to people in need of protection.
Navigating the Digital Border: Troubles with the CBP One Application
“That app is a farce. I’ve watched so many people working so hard to download and use it, but it simply does not work,” Sister Engracia said when asked how CBP One was affecting access to asylum.
Right now, the primary way that migrants can access asylum is through the CBP One application. The Biden Administration presents it as the only way, despite a DHS provision that allows migrants to seek an appointment at the port of entry, although the government makes their asylum case more difficult to win if they present at a port of entry without an appointment. Thus, most asylum seekers are working incredibly hard to use the CBP One app.
For many migrants, that means overcoming language barriers, acquiring a smartphone which is a device that some migrants may have never used, and seeking funds to get a data plan—all simply to access the app itself. Then, technical issues abound. One migrant simply said, “It just keepscrashing,” after spending days working on the app. Even if the app works, the availability of appointments is limited. CBP has added some additional appointments a day, but even so, it can often take weeks, even months, to access an appointment via the CBP One app – delaying access to the asylum process for people in desperate need of protection.
Left in a Line of Limbo: Sister Engracia shares about migrants forced to wait for access to the port of entry
At the same time, the Biden Administration has not built up sufficient capacity—either to accommodate the CBP One appointments or to assist those who are not able to use the app.
As a result of this limited capacity, a long, barely-budging line has formed at the ports of entry, creating a difficult and confusing limbo. Read more…
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