Donald Trump has ordered nearly one million migrants to leave America “immediately” or “face the consequences” after using an app to help them seek asylum. CBP One is an app created under Joe Biden that allows migrants to book appointments to seek asylum, but the new US president argued it has allowed people to stay in the country illegally.
He shut it down in January but relaunched it last month with the purpose of helping illegal immigrants to deport themselves, calling it CBP Home. An email seen by the BBC told one migrant using the app that “it is time for you to leave the United States”. It continued: “If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that result in your removal from the United States – unless you have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here.
“You will be subject to potential criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties, and any other lawful options available to the federal government.”
It is not clear how many people received this notice, but immigration officials confirmed that it had been sent to “some” of the nearly one million people who used the app.
Roughly 900,000 migrants used CBP One to enter the US through the southern border, and most of them were allowed to stay there for two years and legally work.
It was originally launched in 2020 to help trucking companies schedule cargo inspections, but in 2023, it was expanded to include migrants making asylum claims.
Republicans were staunch critics of this, arguing that it would facilitate illegal immigration by allowing people to enter the US before their asylum case was fully vetted.
However, officials said it has helped reduce detentions at the border and better protect asylum seekers on their journey to the US.
The Department of Homeland Security said: “The Biden Administration abused the parole authority to allow millions of illegal aliens into the US which further fuelled the worst border crisis in US history”.
“Cancelling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security. If they don’t [leave], they will face the consequences. This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
It added that the notice to leave immediately does not apply to some Ukrainian and Afghan migrants on parole programmes.
