The impacts of President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration were immediately felt on the Mexican side of the border.
Father Francisco Gallardo, who is in charge of the diocese of Reynosa-Matamoros, has cared for migrants in Matamoros for the past two decades. He said the end of a legal pathway for migrants will leave them in a more vulnerable position.
“Organized crime gets stronger with these actions. We see it,” he told TPR. He also warned that Mexico is not prepared to keep the new influx of migrants. “The biggest issue is that smugglers are going to take advantage of this situation.”
The Trump administration has swiftly dismantled immigration policies established under the Biden administration, beginning with the suspension of the CBP One app’s appointment scheduling feature.
An announcement on the CBP One website on Monday declared that the app would no longer function and that all existing appointments had been canceled. Approximately 30,000 migrants with pending appointments were left in limbo, while an estimated 270,000 migrants currently waiting in Mexico for appointments now face an uncertain future.
The CBP One app had been a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s immigration strategy. Designed to provide an “orderly process” for asylum seekers, it enabled 1,450 migrants daily to present themselves at eight designated ports of entry for processing.
During its two-year operation, nearly 919,000 migrants entered the United States through the app. Critics, particularly among Republican lawmakers, argued that the program allowed migrants to remain in the country for extended periods while their cases moved slowly through an overburdened immigration court system.
Gallardo has also reached out to migrants on the U.S. side of the border to understand their situation. “People are scared, hiding. Many of them haven’t been to work,” he said.
Trump has already issued a series of executive orders aimed at drastically reducing the number of migrants entering the country. “First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump said shortly after taking the oath of office. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”
Trump’s broader agenda includes ending birthright citizenship, a centuries-old practice that grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil and creating an “immediate removal process without the possibility of asylum,” according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
The administration has also signaled plans to terminate other Biden-era initiatives, such as the CHNV program, which allowed migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. under sponsorship agreements.
Gallardo explained that in his experience, Mexican nationals won’t take the biggest hit. At the moment, many are already stranded at the border where in the last couple of days deportations have already doubled.
“Mexico also needs to provide legal pathways if Remain in Mexico is reinstated,” he said. He also acknowledged that one of the biggest issues is that migrants don’t want to stay in Mexico.
He explained that while deported Mexicans can return to their homes, non-Mexican migrants face even harsher challenges without much help from the Mexican government.
At the moment, the northern state of Tamaulipas is assisting migrants who were unable to cross to the U.S.
President Claudia Sheinbaum asked Mexicans to stay calm. She announced the “Mexico Hugs You” strategy, (“México te abraza”) aimed at supporting Mexican nationals affected by the changes.
“Mexicans are very important for the U.S. economy, and that’s something the Trump administration acknowledges,” Sheinbaum stated.
She vowed to advocate for the reinstatement of CBP One or a similar program, adding, “Rest assured that Mexico has not forgotten about you.” The strategy includes the ConsulApp, which was developed to bring legal assistance to Mexicans in the U.S. through the 53 consulates.
Gallardo’s main concern revolves around deportations and migrants being stranded at the border. He expressed dismay at the lack of humanity shown by both the U.S. and Mexican governments.
“We need to understand that migrants are not just a number, they are human beings that have to be treated as such,” he said.
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