Asylum-seekers protest CBP One app, conditions in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico



by: Sandra Sanchez
Posted: Aug 2, 2023 / 03:36 PM CDT
Updated: Aug 2, 2023 / 03:36 PM CDT




McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Hundreds of migrants protested at the border Tuesday in the dangerous Mexican town of Nuevo Laredo, complaining about scheduling asylum interviews in the United States, according to reports.

On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told Border Report that vehicle and pedestrian traffic on the Gateway to the Americas Bridge into Laredo, Texas, was unaffected, and the protest had been only on the Mexican side of the bridge.

Cartels clash with Mexican military in northern Mexico

“Pedestrian and vehicular traffic continues to flow normally at Gateway to the Americas Bridge. There is no impact to operations and traffic continues to flow without incident,” a CBP official said.

Videos posted by Mexican media on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, showed migrants grouped at the bridge and complaining to Mexican authorities about scheduling U.S. asylum interviews on the CBP One app.

Most of the migrants are from Venezuela and some argued with immigration officials, according to Noticias En La Frontera.

Some were part of the 2,000 asylum-seekers who had arrived in Nuevo Laredo a few weeks ago after inaccurate rumors circulated in Mexico that no appointment was needed to cross the international bridge.

Since Title 42 was lifted in May, Title 8 immigration rules now require that all asylum-seekers schedule asylum interviews via the CBP One app at U.S. ports of entry. But there are only 1,450 interview slots throughout the U.S. border per day, and asylum-seekers say they must wait for months to secure one.

Laredo port reopens to CBP One app asylum appointments, agency says
In June, CBP One app appointments were halted for a few weeks in Laredo due to violence that was plaguing asylum-seekers who were waiting in the northern Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo. Migrants waiting for asylum interviews reported being robbed, kidnapped and held for ransom across the border.

“Many of them are kidnapped and they have to wait until their family members pay the money before they’re released, or they take everything from them at that point and they’re made to cross the bridge, cross the river illegally, without any information. Their phones are taken, and their money is taken. So at that point, they have no resources or point of contacts. So those are those are the stories that we hear,” Rebecca Solloa, executive director of Catholic Charities of Laredo, told Border Report in June.

Cartel activity and violence don’t seem to have abated. Just last week, violent confrontations between drug cartels and the Mexican military were reported, which led to vehicular fires and blocked roads in Mexico.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at Ssanchez@borderreport.com




https://www.borderreport.com/immigra...laredo-mexico/