The CBP One app, once a crucial tool for asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border, has been shut down by the Trump administration, marking a significant shift in immigration policy. 

CBP App Background

The CBP One app, introduced by the Biden administration in January 2023, was designed to provide a structured process for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. In May 2023, the Biden administration introduced an “Asylum Ban” that made most asylum seekers ineligible if they crossed through another country en route to the U.S. without first seeking protection there. Using CBP One became one of the few ways to maintain asylum eligibility under this new rule Here’s how it worked for asylum seekers:

Registration and Appointment Scheduling

1. Asylum seekers in central and northern Mexico could download the free CBP One app.
2. Users created an account through Login.gov, providing an email address and password.
3. They could request an appointment daily between 11 a.m. and 10 a.m. the following day.
4. The app used a semi-random selection process to choose registrants for the limited daily appointments.
5. A percentage of appointments were reserved for those with the earliest registered profiles.

Appointment Process

• Selected users received a notification and had 23 hours to accept the appointment.
• Unsuccessful applicants had to repeat the process the next day.
• Appointments were scheduled for one of eight designated ports of entry along the southwest border.

At the Port of Entry

• On the scheduled date, asylum seekers presented themselves at the designated port of entry.
• They underwent thorough screening and vetting, including biographic and biometric security checks.
• If admitted, individuals were typically placed into immigration proceedings and could be granted parole for up to two years.

Key Features

• The app was available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
• It allowed for the scheduling of about 1,450 appointments per day.
• By the end of 2024, over 900,000 people had entered the U.S. legally using CBP One.

Limitations and Challenges

• High demand led to long wait times, often extending for months.
• The app faced criticism for technical issues and accessibility concerns.
• It became the primary, and often only, way for asylum seekers to maintain guaranteed asylum eligibility at the border.

The CBP One app aimed to create a more orderly and humane process for asylum seekers, reducing illegal border crossings and the influence of smugglers. However, it also faced criticism for potentially limiting access to asylum and creating technological barriers for vulnerable populations.

Shutdown and Immediate Impact

On January 20, 2025, newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem followed through on her confirmation hearing promise to shut down the CBP One app on her first day in office. This action was in line with the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown.

The sudden shutdown of the app has left many migrants in limbo, dashing their hopes of entering the United States through the previously established legal channel. Thousands of asylum seekers who had already scheduled appointments or were in the process of using the app found themselves without a clear path forward.

Impact on Legal Entry

By December 2024, over 936,500 individuals had successfully used the app to arrange appointments, with nearly 44,000 people processed in December alone. By canceling the app, an estimated 270,000 migrants who were waiting to enter the U.S. through the app in limbo. Around 280,000 individuals were attempting to claim one of the 1,450 daily slots each day.

The abrupt termination of the CBP One app has left many migrants in limbo, particularly those who had already traveled to border towns in Mexico in anticipation of their scheduled appointments. The full extent of the impact is still unfolding, as the shutdown affects not only those with immediate appointments but also those who are planning to use the app in the near future.