Last chance in Tijuana: Hundreds of migrants cross border before Trump’s immigration crackdown

Luis and Alejandro, aged 19 and 21, have just arrived in Tijuana. They come from Honduras, and arrived in Mexico a month ago. Their journey is one shared by thousands of others. Like them, thousands of people have crossed Mexico in the past year, driven by the hope of reaching the United States for a better life.

Now, just hours before Donald Trump assumes the presidency and enacts his hard-line policies on migration, Luis and Alejandro are rushing to make their appointment at the border. They are among the last to have the opportunity to enter the United States through CBP One, a free government application that has allowed hundreds of thousands to request political asylum over the past year.

Trump, however, has declared that CBP One’s days are numbered — and with it, opportunities for asylum seekers. The Republican president has also threatened to deport over 11 million people currently living in the United States without documentation. “We left Honduras because of the violence. Where we come from, there’s no future for people our age, and we don’t want to become criminals,” says Alejandro, who previously worked as a delivery driver for a store.

Dusk settles over Tijuana, and the temperature dips to 5OºF (10ºC) near the El Chaparral checkpoint at the border with San Diego, California. Luis and Alejandro rub their hands together for warmth. They are wearing track pants and sweatshirts, and one of them has only flip-flops with socks. Just hours ago, they were 2,500 miles away in Tapachula, Chiapas, where the temperature was a balmy 86ºF (30ºC).

When they received confirmation of their appointment, they purchased plane tickets and traversed the length of Mexico in 24 hours. Not everyone, however, is so fortunate. Many are forced to make the perilous journey by road or aboard the infamous freight train known as La Bestia. Along the way, they risk being kidnapped and extorted by organized crime groups, as well as Mexican authorities. Luis says that he was kidnapped in Chiapas and forced to pay a $100 ransom for his release.

Dozens of people gather at the border crossing. They are from Cuba, Venezuela, and Ecuador, as well as distant nations like Iran and Afghanistan. Most are families — large groups traveling together. Among them are Belkis and Dayana, two Venezuelan women journeying with their children. They met on the road and have been traveling together for three months.

“We left because of the situation in our country,” explains Dayana. “I earned $8 a month, and salaries are no longer enough to buy even a kilo of meat,” adds Belkis, who worked as a company administrator before leaving Venezuela. “After the elections [in Venezuela, which Nicolás Maduro claimed to have won despite fraud allegations], we decided to leave, because there is no future for our children in Venezuela,” she continues.

“When our appointment came, we shouted with joy — we couldn’t believe it. We thought we wouldn’t make it,” says Dayana.

By August 2024, more than 925,000 people had entered Mexico illegally, according to Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM). Of these, over 260,000 were of Venezuelan origin.

A spanking for Donald Trump

Migrant organizations are calling for the CBP One system to remain in place, warning that without it, migrant communities will be forced to resort to illegal border crossings once again. “Migration is not going to stop,” says José María García of the Migrant Alliance of Tijuana. “This program, which is working, is what Trump wanted — an organized system for entering the country. Hopefully, he will allow it to continue because it has benefited thousands of migrants. With CBP One, people can enter in an orderly and safe manner. If it’s removed, migrants will be forced to face the dangers of crossing illegally again,” García explains.

García, alongside other pro-migrant organizations, gathered near the U.S. border wall on the beaches of Tijuana just hours before the change in government. There, they staged a protest against mass deportations, urging Mexicans in the United States to abstain from working as a form of protest, aiming to highlight the economic weight of the migrant population. They also called on residents of Tijuana to avoid crossing the border or purchasing American products.

The protest concluded with a piñata of Donald Trump being struck and kicked by participants. One of the organization’s representatives, Sergio Tamai of Angels Without Borders, theatrically placed the Trump piñata on his lap and delivered several spanks. “Trump, repent of your bad behavior. You are a capricious child, very good at many things, but you have offended Mexico,” Tamai said.

Donald Trump’s arrival to power has put the spotlight on hard-line migration policies. However, the outgoing president, Joe Biden, leaves behind a mixed legacy. In 2024, his administration oversaw the highest number of deportations since 2014, with 271,484 individuals sent back to nearly 200 countries, according to data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mexico’s National Migration Institute also reported that 190,491 Mexicans were deported last year. Among them, 28,270 were children. At the same time, the Biden administration naturalized the largest number of people in more than a decade.

“Around 200 people are deported from the United States to Tijuana every day,” says José Luis Pérez Canchola, head of Immigration for the local government. Tijuana currently operates 44 shelters, most of which are run by churches of various faiths, with a combined capacity of around 5,000 people.

Municipal authorities have unanimously declared a state of emergency in anticipation of possible mass deportations. They are calling on the Mexican government of Claudia Sheinbaum to allocate federal funds to expand the necessary infrastructure. “We have to take Donald Trump’s threats seriously and take the necessary measures,” says Pérez Canchola.

The end of the CBP One system leaves thousands of people in limbo, as they continue to wait in shelters across the country for a chance to cross to the other side. Alejandro, Luis, Belkis, and Dayana have managed to make it across the border, but their future is clouded by uncertainty.

“We are afraid, but we also have a lot of faith. God knows we came to work and want to do things the right way,” says Dayana.

“If I had Trump in front of me, I would tell him that we are not all the same. If they decide to deport us, they would hurt many families who have fought hard to be there,” Luis adds, just moments before crossing the border.

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