(NewsNation) — Asylum-seekers arriving at the port of entry at Laredo, Texas, will no longer be given an appointment.
The Biden administration has halted the use of the CBP One app at the notoriously dangerous crossing point, citing a “security situation.”
Advocates say the halt is due to migrants being targeted by multiple entities including Mexican officials and criminal groups, allegedly extorting them by threatening to detain migrants until they miss their appointment.
The area is largely controlled by the Northeast Cartel, which is continually pushing adults and drugs across the border, a source told NewsNation. Several migrants also told The Associated Press that Mexican officials were threatening them for money.
CBP One has not responded to NewsNation’s request for comments on the issue, saying only, “The CBP One appointment process provides a safe, orderly, and humane process for noncitizens to access ports of entry instead of attempting to enter the United States unlawfully, cutting criminal smugglers out of the equation. We will continue to enforce consequences for migrants who cross without authorization, and those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States will be removed.”
Meanwhile, Laredo is no longer listed as a city on the app.
The government allocates 1,250 appointments a day. Now, the Laredo slots will be dispersed across the other seven land crossings.
Laredo is not the only dangerous port of entry for these migrants. In Yuma, Arizona, three migrants were reportedly shot in the legs by who they say were Mexican bandits last week, while waiting to cross into the U.S.
“I’ve often said it’s a bonanza for the drug cartels right now, under this administration, because they’re making tons of money off of the illegal migrants coming into the United States, they’re making a ton of money out of the sex trafficking, they’re making a ton of money out of the drugs. And at the same time, they’re making money because while those gaps are there, sometimes they’re coming across, and they’re actually being able to transport guns and weapons back south in those same gaps that are being left on the line,” Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, said.
The Biden administration has been publicly celebrating the dip in numbers at the border since the expiration of Title 42 over a month ago. But reports say there are some concerns among Biden officials about what comes next in the country’s immigration policy.