The cancellation of appointments through the CBP One program by the United States has generated uncertainty among migrant individuals stranded at the northern border of Mexico, a region facing a profound logistical and humanitarian challenge without clarity on new migration alternatives.
In Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, this situation has become a symbol of the tension and suffering experienced by those seeking a better future in the U.S. Organizations like El Buen Samaritano are now dealing with new challenges to assist those in a migration limbo.
Pastor Juan Fierro García, director of the El Buen Samaritano shelter, shared with EFE the reactions and concerns that this measure has raised. He mentioned: "(For) some people who were with us, who had already been waiting with the CBP One application, it was frustrating to learn that it was canceled, and well, there was discouragement, there was sadness, perhaps anger, some people were shocked by this information."
Currently, the shelter, with a capacity for 180 people, is attending to 21 migrants, but Fierro anticipates an increase in the arrival of rejected or deported individuals. Regarding this situation, he commented: "We know that the federal government, along with the other governments, has a strategy to set up tents to receive nationals and also some trucks for those who want to return to their place of origin."
One of those affected by the cancellation of appointments is Margelis Tinoco, who traveled from Colombia with the hope of reaching the United States. Tinoco expressed her despair upon hearing about the cancellation: "I collapsed out of sadness over what was happening, that I could no longer enter the United States and with a son who was asking me, ‘Mom, and now what are we going to do?’"
Pastor Fierro warned that the cancellation of appointments for migrants could lead to various reactions, from returning to their places of origin to trying to settle in Mexico. He emphasized the importance of collaboration among governments, institutions, and civil society to face this crisis.
Meanwhile, Tinoco and other migrants are hoping for a change in immigration policies that will allow them to seek a better life, as the dream of crossing the border seems further away than ever. Tinoco concluded: "I thought, ‘I'm going to enter, we're going to start working, we're going to stabilize ourselves,’ and before I knew it, everything collapsed, my appointment was closed like a door closing."
