The United States wants to limit immigration from Mexico.

Migration from Mexico to the United States is a major issue in the current US presidential election campaign. US authorities want to reduce the influx by changing the registration process. This change will allow asylum seekers to make appointments with US authorities even in the southernmost Mexican states, a shift from the previous requirement to be in central or northern Mexico.

Teodora Gomez from Colombia quickly downloaded the “CBP One” app upon entering Mexican territory. She was curious to see if the new system would work effectively. Gomez and her two teenage daughters are currently resting under a tree along the border road leading to Tapachula.

The expansion of app access to the south can be seen as a response to Mexico’s request. The goal is to relieve the pressure on migrants to travel as far as possible, to Mexico City. Over the years, the Mexican government has tried to keep people in the south, away from the U.S. border. However, the lack of employment and housing in southern cities like Tapachula has meant that most migrants have headed north, despite Mexico’s efforts.

If migrants can now wait for their appointments in the south, as Mexico hopes, they can avoid being caught by police or falling victim to organized crime as they travel north. With an appointment, they could theoretically travel undisturbed.

German Munoz from Honduras, who is traveling with his wife and three children, plans to register his family once they arrive in Tapachula. “We will apply here and wait for the appointment,” Munoz said at the border on the way to Tapachula.

Others, however, still feel compelled to move north. Many migrants have debts and need to start paying them off quickly. Gomez, for example, needs to move quickly to find work.

In response to establishing orderly asylum processes at the southwest border, the “CBP One” app has proven to be a successful strategy for the U.S., with more than 2.4 million individuals crossing the border in fiscal year 2023, according to U.S. data. Since the app’s launch in January 2023, more than 765,000 individuals have agreed to appointments to file their asylum claims.

1,500 appointments per day

US authorities are making 1,500 appointments a day after the Biden administration suspended asylum processing for illegal immigrants in June.

Since the peak in December 2023, the number of illegal border crossings has fallen significantly. Washington attributes this decline mainly to Mexico’s measures, such as intercepting migrants in the north and sending them back south.

Mexico’s expansion of “CBP One” has received government approval. Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena recently stated, “This will help us considerably.”

Violation of international law?

Aid groups are less optimistic. In an open letter to the Mexican government, they described “CBP One” as a violation of international law, claiming that the app allows U.S. authorities to restrict asylum applications. Many migrants have been living in overcrowded shelters or tents in Mexico for months in appalling conditions, while being threatened with kidnapping, sexual abuse, torture and extortion by criminals and authorities during their wait, the groups detailed.

The United Nations has reacted cautiously to the development. While it has the potential to reduce risks for migrants traveling north, Giovanni Lepri, UNHCR’s Mexico chief, stressed the need for additional migration policy measures, such as supporting countries of origin and providing protection to individuals in transit countries.

In theory, Mexico’s immigration agency allows migrants with a “CBP-One” appointment to travel freely to the U.S. border. But aid groups report that migrants are still sometimes being detained and forced to return south to keep them away from the border.

Drug cartels take over

Historically, migrants have been targeted by smugglers and criminals in southern Mexico, although the region has generally been safe for the rest of the population. However, this situation has changed significantly. The southern border region now serves as a battleground for Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels, which fight for control of drug, weapons and migrant smuggling routes. Violence is now widespread in numerous border cities.

Migrants in Ciudad Hidalgo, near the river border between Mexico and Guatemala, debate whether to stay or move north. The main deciding factor is financial: People hope for better job opportunities in central and northern Mexico — because they need money to wait potentially months for an appointment.

The implementation of the “CBP One” app in the southern Mexican states can be seen as a response to the war on drugs in Mexico. The aim is to relieve the pressure on migrants and prevent them from traveling all the way to Mexico City, where drug cartels have taken control of drug trafficking routes.

The Mexican government welcomes the expansion of the “CBP One” app to the south, but aid organizations argue that it violates international law and limits asylum options, as migrants are still often detained and forced to return to the south.

The United States wants to limit immigration from Mexico.