The Lukeville border bridge, one of six Arizona communities with a border crossing into Mexico and the fourth busiest, will close starting this Saturday, December 16.
The decision was confirmed through an official statement from the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which did not mention any date for its reopening.
The statement indicates that the closure is being carried out to redirect personnel to help “the US Border Patrol with the detention of immigrants” at other points on the border.
Hearing about this fact has generated concern among migrants who are at the border waiting to carry out their appointment scheduled through the CBP One application, as they fear that this closure could slow down the process to enter the United States.
The CBP One program processes 1,450 appointments daily across eight different border crossings in the southern United States. Lukeville, however, is not one of those eight, so its closure will not affect the number of officials reviewing these cases.
In that sense, the closure will only affect people traveling for tourism, business, work, shopping, and those who have a visa, so CBP One appointments will not have any changes at any of the entry points.
The Lukeville entrance is the main route used to travel from Phoenix and Tucson to the city of Puerto Peñasco, in Sonora.
CBP One could be at risk
According to official figures from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as of the end of October, 324,000 cases had been attended to with the help of the CBP One program, which allows migrants to request asylum and schedule appointments with a CBP official to present their cases. .
Those who are allowed entry to the US by this method are given an I-94 document, a form that serves as parole. In the case of Cubans, this document can be used to qualify for the Cuban Adjustment Act after one year in the country, allowing them to apply for permanent residency.
Although the program represents a unique opportunity for thousands of migrants who want a better life, it could be at risk, as President Joe Biden recently agreed to be willing to change its immigration policiesincluding the Humanitarian Parole Program and the CBP One application, in the face of pressure from the Republican Party.
