Trump Declares Border Emergency, Ends Asylum Application in Crackdown

President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and decrees to tighten immigration controls from behind his desk in the Oval Office.

Trump quickly followed through on his vows to tighten the US-Mexico border, issuing orders addressing the meaning of birthright citizenship and declaring illegal immigration at the border a national emergency.

However, several of these decrees, particularly those aimed at changing the concept of birthright citizenship, are expected to attract strong legal opposition.

Trump has earlier promised that the "destructive" policies of the Biden White House will be reversed "within five minutes". 

Thousands of would-be migrants' immigration appointments were cancelled hours earlier as the Trump government discontinued CBP One, an app used to schedule appointments at border crossings.

Trump promised in his inauguration address that "all illegal entry will be halted" and that millions of "criminal aliens" would be deported. 

He also issued an order labelling Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations.

At a separate gathering at Washington's Capital One Arena, Trump formally cancelled over 80 "radical" executive actions issued by the Biden administration.

"I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions," Trump said in his inaugural speech at the US Capitol earlier in the day.

As part of the overall strategy, Trump administration officials stated that the president would authorize the Department of Defense to "seal the border" and deploy additional resources and people, including counter-drone capabilities. 

Earlier, incoming Trump administration officials said that the steps represented the formation of "common sense immigration policy."

Although the specifics of the order are unknown, authorities have stated that Trump intends to remove birthright citizenship, which means that the offspring of undocumented migrants living in the US will no longer be automatically deemed US citizens.

However, birthright citizenship is incorporated in the United States Constitution and would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress to repeal. The official gave no further details on how Trump intends to accomplish this. 

The new administration also moved quickly to eliminate CBP One, a mobile program that migrants used to schedule appointments to appear at a port of entry.

Biden administration officials credited the app with reducing the number of border detentions after its launch in January 2023. It was the only legal means to seek asylum at the US-Mexico border.

The Customs and Border Protection website now states that the app is "no longer available".

App users will now see a warning stating that "existing appointments scheduled through CBP One are no longer valid". 

According to CBS, the BBC's US partner, the Biden administration has scheduled approximately 30,000 appointments for migrants to enter the US through CBP One over the next three weeks.

Other estimates suggested that up to 270,000 migrants were in Mexico awaiting an opportunity to enter the United States through CBP One.

Some migrants in Tijuana, Mexico, said they felt defeated and devastated after learning of CBP One's demise.

"I hope God touches his [Trump's] heart," said Oralia, a Mexican woman who fled from cartel violence in her home state with her epileptic son. "We do need the help."

She'd been waiting for an appointment with CBP One for seven months.

The American Civil Liberties Union promptly challenged the incoming administration's decision to dismantle CBP One, filing court petitions asking for an immediate status conference.

Immigration advocacy organizations have also responded strongly to Trump's immigration measures.

Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, stated that the orders are "disappointing but not surprising" in a statement.

"The expected orders would separate families and weaken our economy," Mrs. Murray warned. "They do not uphold American values." 

Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director of United We Dream, a national immigrant youth organization, stated that the directives indicate that the administration "will spend the next four years actively trying to destroy our lives."

"Trump's pledges to carry out mass raids and deportations will have devastating consequences on communities nationwide, leaving millions of families and individuals in disarray if immediate action is not taken by our elected officials to publicly fight back," she made clear.