Migrants can now apply for asylum through CBP One app from southern Mexico

U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has expanded the area from where migrants can access its CBP One app, allowing non-Mexicans to request asylum appointments from the states of Tabasco and Chiapas in addition to Northern and Central Mexico.

Previously, asylum seekers needed to be in northern Mexican states or Mexico City to start their asylum cases. This expansion is expected to ease pressure on the border cities and provide migrants with safer waiting conditions, away from the violence that they are especially vulnerable to along the northern border.

Kate Lincoln Goldfinch, immigration lawyer and activist, thinks the update is a common sense move. "We should all be watching to make sure that [CBP continues] efficient processing and prioritization of people who are in danger, particularly those at the border."

Mexican authorities have welcomed the update, hoping it will reduce the influx of migrants in border cities. However, migrant advocacy groups have criticized the app, claiming it violates international law by restricting access to asylum seekers and forcing migrants to wait in dangerous conditions in Mexico.

The CBP One app first launched in 2020, it is a one-stop-shop for immigration cases and has been the primary method for migrants to request asylum appointments since the Biden administration's policy changes in June 2023.

According to CBP, the app allocates 1,450 appointments daily across eight U.S.-Mexico border crossings. Since its launch, the CBP One app has processed 264,500 noncitizens in 2023, despite ongoing issues with crashes and error messages.

In response to scrutiny for technological breakdowns, the Department of Homeland Security performed an audit that found security risks, system crashes, and unequal access to appointments, while noting that CBP failed to fully address technological flaws in the app's design. The CBP agreed to implement recommended improvements to enhance the app's security and functionality.

Recent updates to the app include prioritizing those who have waited the longest for appointments. For now, the CBP One app remains a contentious but central tool for managing asylum requests in the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration is a major issue in the upcoming U.S. elections, with over 6.4 million border crossings since President Biden took office. The overwhelmed asylum system, with over 2 million pending cases resulting in a considerable backlog, underscores the need for reform.