The expansion will allow would-be immigrants coming from the southern Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas to secure appointments using the CBP One app without having to travel north to do so. People coming from Northern and Central Mexico already had access to the program.
By enabling appointment scheduling from Chiapas and Tabasco, CBP aims to make it easier for illegal immigrants to secure one of the 1,450 daily appointments available.
CBP said in the statement that the policy update follows discussions with Mexican authorities and that the agency will provide additional information about the update before it goes into effect.
A specific implementation date hasn’t been provided.
CBP noted the ongoing collaboration with Mexican partners, stating, “We consistently engage with our partners in the Government of Mexico and work together to adjust policies and practices in response to the latest migration trends and security needs.”
Since the introduction of the CBP One app in January 2023, more than 680,000 people have scheduled appointments at eight Mexican land crossings with the United States.
The primary nationalities using the service include Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians. Because of the high volume of applicants from Mexico, U.S. authorities recently limited slots for Mexican nationals.
The decision is part of broader efforts to streamline legal migration processes and address migration flows affecting both countries.
Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena noted that closer relations with the United States have significantly reduced migration since late last year.
“We have managed to decompress our [northern] border in a very meaningful way and that has helped ... our relationship with the United States be very, very dynamic and very positive,” Bárcena said in an Aug. 2 statement.
Arrests for illegal entries fell to 205,000 in June, a 30 percent decrease compared with the previous month and the lowest monthly level in about 18 months.
