Minutes after United States President Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday, officials from his administration shut down the CBP One mobile app, a tool designed for migrants to schedule appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The app, introduced under the Biden administration, was a key part of the effort to encourage migrants to seek legal entry through designated ports. By disabling it, Customs and Border Protection officials effectively canceled all pending appointments for migrants without visas who were seeking lawful admission to the United States.
This action is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to impose stricter immigration measures, even as migration numbers have significantly decreased in recent months.
CBP data shows a substantial reduction in border encounters. In December, U.S. officials recorded 96,048 encounters with foreign nationals at the border, with 48,722 of these individuals seeking formal admission at ports of entry.
The last time monthly encounters fell below 100,000 before November was in January 2021, when CBP reported 78,414 encounters as Biden took office. At that time, only 3,098 migrants presented at ports of entry, while the rest were apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the border illegally.
CBP One had been a cornerstone of Biden’s immigration strategy, designed to provide legal pathways for migrants and reduce unauthorized crossings.
President Trump is expected to sign ten executive orders on Monday targeting border policies. Among these measures is a revival of the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “remain in Mexico” policy.
Under MPP, implemented during Trump’s first term, approximately 70,000 third-country nationals were returned to Mexico over two years to await decisions on their U.S. asylum applications. The controversial policy faced criticism for exposing migrants to dangerous conditions in Mexican border towns while they waited for court dates.
These immediate moves signify Trump’s intent to dismantle pathways created by the Biden administration and reintroduce hardline immigration measures. His administration’s actions reflect a sharp pivot back to policies prioritizing border enforcement and deterrence.
While the CBP One app was seen as a tool to manage migration more humanely, its shutdown is likely to force migrants to seek alternative — and potentially dangerous — means of entry. For Trump, however, these policies mark a return to the strict immigration stance that defined his earlier presidency.
