Technology
Asylum seekers find loophole in CBP app to enter U.S.
After hearing about Segura’s success with the loophole, many other asylum seekers have followed his footsteps and have begun lining up at the border
June 9, 2023 6:26am
Updated: June 9, 2023 6:26am
Migrants have found a loophole in the Customs and Border Protection mobile app that allows them to claim asylum at the border without previously making an appointment.
Launched in 2020, CBP One is a mobile app meant to serve as a portal for several Customs and Border Protection services to manage asylum seeker cases. Through the application, asylum seekers can submit their information and asylum application for border officials to review and grant an appointment for an interview.
The Biden administration has claimed that the immigration app is one of the only legal pathways for asylum seekers to get an appointment with an immigration official.
However, migrant Caesar Segura, found a loophole: the application’s fine print states that if “language barriers, illiteracy or technical issues” are presented while using the app, the individual can show up to a port of entry and request an interview, according to Border Report.
“I tried many times to set up an interview on the app but it never worked,” Segura told the Border Report.
Last week, Segura showed up at the San Ysidro Port of Entry bridging San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico, and after waiting for four days, he was finally able to secure an interview with an immigration official. The Venezuelan migrant met the asylum threshold and was released into the country.
Segura is now enjoying his new life in Miami and is due in asylum court on June 26, 2026.
After hearing about Segura’s success with the loophole, other asylum seekers have reportedly asked for an interview by asserting issues with the CBP One app.
The Dept. of Homeland Security is asking migrants to refrain from lining up and continue using the app, which is working for “99 percent of migrants who apply online.”
However, some migrants say that waiting in line is faster than using the application to get an immigration appointment. According to the Tijuana newspaper El Sol, there are around 400 migrants currently waiting around the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
