Trump Shuts Down Immigration App, 280,0000 People Attempted to Log In, Details Emerge
US

Trump Shuts Down Immigration App, 280,0000 People Attempted to Log In, Details Emerge

  • President Donald Trump initiated a comprehensive immigration crackdown, tasking the U.S. military with bolstering border security and issuing a broad ban on asylum
  • Declaring illegal immigration a national emergency, Trump ordered the Pentagon to support border wall construction and migrant transportation
  • The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal court challenge, arguing that Trump's decision to end the CBP One program removed the only avenue to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border

Washington DC, United States - President Donald Trump launched an ambitious and sweeping immigration crackdown, a move that would reverberate across the nation.

Declaring illegal immigration a national emergency, Trump tasked the U.S. military with fortifying border security, issuing a broad ban on asylum, and taking decisive steps to restrict citizenship for children born on U.S. soil.

Donald Trump stops immigration app leaving 280,000 or more hanging in the balance
President Donald Trump shuts down immigration app hours after taking office. Scott Olson/Pool/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

With a stern resolve, he ordered the Pentagon to support the construction of the border wall, provide detention space, and facilitate migrant transportation, while empowering the secretary of Defense to deploy troops to the border as deemed necessary.

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Key Measures and Reactions

Trump called for the reinstatement of his "remain in Mexico" program, which required non-Mexican migrants to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their U.S. cases.

Shortly after the inauguration, U.S. border authorities shut down outgoing President Joe Biden's CBP One entry program, which had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. legally by scheduling appointments via an app.

Existing appointments were canceled, leaving migrants stunned and uncertain about their next steps.

Political Context and Criticism

Trump, a Republican, recaptured the White House after promising to intensify border security and deport record numbers of migrants.

He criticised Biden for high levels of illegal immigration during the Democrat's presidency, although the number of migrants caught crossing illegally fell dramatically as Biden toughened his policies last year and Mexico increased enforcement.

Republicans argue that large-scale deportations are necessary after millions of immigrants crossed illegally during Biden's presidency.

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Trump takes US reins with flurry of executive orders

Legal and Humanitarian Concerns

Trump's critics and immigrant advocates sounded the alarm, cautioning that mass deportations could wreak havoc on businesses, tear families apart, and burden U.S. taxpayers with billions in costs.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) swiftly responded, filing a federal court challenge on Monday, contending that Trump's termination of the CBP One program eradicated the sole pathway to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

While Americans have become less welcoming toward immigrants without legal status since Trump's first presidency, they remain apprehensive about draconian measures like detention camps, as revealed by a Reuters/Ipsos poll in December.

Impact on Migrants

In the dusty border towns of Mexico, a palpable sense of despair settled over the migrants as they watched their appointments on Biden's CBP One app vanish just after Trump assumed office.

In Ciudad Juarez, the scene was chaotic as migrants scrambled to secure short-term rentals, purchase bus tickets, and contact family members back home.

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Among them was Daynna del Valle, a 40-year-old Venezuelan, who had endured eight long months in Mexico awaiting an appointment set for Tuesday. "I'm lost," she murmured, her voice tinged with hopelessness. "I don't know what to do, where to go."

Trump Takes US Reins with Flurry of Executive Orders

Legit.ng reported that US President Donald Trump begins his first full day in office Tuesday, riding a wave of executive orders signed just hours after his inauguration on everything from immigration to the environment and culture wars.

After the pomp of his inauguration ceremony and stunning array of executive orders, the president's Tuesday begins with a more solemn event: a prayer service at the National Cathedral.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.