U.S. grants border crossing migrants access through an appointment system

Ted Hesson and Daina Bet Solomon

WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY – Migrants who seek asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico can now schedule a time to enter a land port of entry using a mobile app, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Thursday. Although this move is intended to reduce cross-border crossings it has raised privacy and access concerns.

According to a factsheet the app is called CBP One. It’s available in English or Spanish. The app allows migrants from Central and Northern Mexico to upload biographical information as well as a photo in order to request an appointment at one port in Texas, Arizona, and California.

The administration previously announced Thursday that it would increase its use of an application, giving asylum seekers direct accessibility to their information as part of a pre-screening process to be granted an appointment.

American President Joe Biden touts the app’s potential to be a safer and quicker way of crossing the border. Advocates worry that asylum seekers may have to provide personal information to be granted entry, and they might not have access to a phone or internet connection.

Biden announced last week that his administration would increase COVID-era Title 42 restrictions to quickly expel Cubans and Nicaraguans crossing the border to Mexico. It also opened up legal pathways to those with U.S. sponsors who can enter by air.

Biden is a Democrat and intends to run for reelection in 2024. Republicans have criticized Biden’s border policies, which they see as permissive, amid record crossings.

Several Democrats, ex-Biden officials and immigration advocates have criticized Trump for expanding COVID border controls after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in April 2021 they were no longer necessary for public safety reasons.

While the new CBP One app may reduce crossings, questions remain about how and when it will work.

Pete Flores is the CBP’s top official in charge of ports-of-entry. He tweeted that the app could be used to view “vulnerability criteria”, which would allow for an exception from Title 42 restrictions.

Tijuana authorities announced this week that they would improve internet connectivity in 3 locations and train officials for assistance with migrants’ applications.

(Reporting done by Ted Hesson in Washington, Daina Sol in Mexico City; additional reporting by LizbethDiaz Mexico City and Kristina Bakee San Francisco; editing by Aurora Ellis

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