Migrants face more challenges ahead of Title 42 expiration

A roughly 15-minute drive from the city through a more rural part of Tijuana, up a dirt road, led us to embajadores de Jesús or ambassadors of Jesus' shelter. We're told this is where roughly 1,600 refugees and asylum seekers from different parts of the world find shelter as they wait and hope to seek asylum in the U.S. People have to know we're living a very complicated situation, says Denis Omilien. He and his wife Laura, both in their 30s, first immigrated to Chile from Haiti because of the sociopolitical threats to their safety. They travel through one of the most dangerous paths in the world, a rainforest region called the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama. They have to get rid of their clothes and belongings to make it, traveling through many countries by foot and bus.

Here in Tijuana, they've found ways to secure clothes, food, and shelter for themselves and their toddler. For a month, they've tried to schedule an appointment to seek asylum in the U.S. through the method immigration officials have required, a new app called CBP1. This app has proven an insurmountable challenge for most. Among those who can access a phone and internet, there are widespread reports of glitches and limited access and roughly 800 daily appointments across the entire border. There are only three supported languages, Spanish, English, and Haitian Creole, which leaves out tens of thousands of other asylum seekers that speak many other different languages who have no way to access the asylum process.

A few hours before we met Denis and Laura, they were able to schedule an appointment. He thanked God and smiled, conveying a sense of hope after a years-long, perilous journey that led them here.

news, abc, abc7news, title 42, title 42 expiration, migrants title 42, title 42 ending, migrant challenges, migrant challenges title 42