Migrants can now apply for asylum through the CBP One app…

Migrants, mainly from Central America and Venezuela, rest on their way to the United States to escape poverty and violence on the outskirts of Huixtla, Chiapas state, Mexico, on July 24, 2024. (Photo: Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has has expanded the area where migrants can access the CBP One app, allowing non-Mexicans to file asylum applications in the states of Tabasco and Chiapas, in addition to northern and central Mexico.

Previously, asylum seekers had to be in the northern Mexican states or Mexico City to start their asylum applications. This expansion is expected to relieve pressure on border towns and provide migrants with safer waiting conditions, away from the violence to which they are particularly vulnerable along the northern border.

First launched in 2020, the CBP One app is a one-stop shop for immigration matters. Since the Biden administration’s policy changes in June 2023, it has become the primary method for migrants to file asylum claims.

According to CBP, the app is provides 1,450 appointments daily at eight US-Mexico border crossings. Since launch, the CBP One app has processed 264,500 non-citizens in 2023, despite ongoing issues with crashes and error messages.

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

Since its introduction, the app has been criticized for technical shortcomings, such as frequent error messages and language barriers. In response, the Department of Homeland Security conducted an audit that found security risks, system crashes and unequal access to appointmentswhile noting that CBP failed to fully address technological deficiencies in the app’s design. CBP agreed to implement recommended improvements to enhance the app’s security and functionality.

Since its launch, the CBP One app processed 264,500 non-citizens in 2023. Recent updates to the app include prioritizing those who have waited the longest for appointments. For now, the CBP One app remains a controversial but central tool for managing asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration is an important issue in the upcoming American elections, with more than 6.4 million border crossings since President Biden took office. The overburdened asylum system, with more than 2 million pending cases resulting in a significant backlog, underscores the need for reform.