Earlier this month, President Joe Biden initiated a plan for migrants trying to enter the country. Through no fault of his own, the number of migrants entering the country has slowed down because of technical issues or language barriers.
Before President Biden visited the El Paso border, he initiated the requirement for migrants to apply for asylum using CBP One. Only people from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cuba were allowed to request asylum.
Additionally, Biden limited the number of migrants entering the country to 30,000 people a month.
You would think even 30,000 migrants entering through a port of entry would overwhelm border towns. But so far, migrants have had four problems using CBP One.
1. CBP One is an app used on Apple and Android devices but the app doesn’t work on all smartphones.
2. The app is only available in English and Spanish which limits some migrants from understanding how to apply due to the language barrier.
3. In some instances where the app doesn’t work when migrants try to use it.
4. When migrants use the CBP One app, each location is limited to a certain number of applicants per day. So once the location has so many applicants, migrants will be locked out and have to try again the next day.
Wilson Peralta a Peruvian migrant said:
“It freezes and it stays frozen. When we try to go in and enter our information, it takes us to this screen and then it crashes.”
"I’ve done everything the system has asked. When we have sent everything, then we go here to get a date and time. But we get nothing.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said about the app:
“This can be done on one’s smartphone with an app called CBP One. The app is designed to discourage individuals from congregating near the border and creating unsafe conditions.”
An attorney with the pro-bono legal advocacy group Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project Chelsea Sachau said:
“So any step, including CBP One, that … places the responsibility back into the U.S. government’s hands, is a step in the right direction,” she said. “Because you don't have to rely on a third party for help, necessarily, and so it is providing more individuals with access to trying to get an appointment spot.”
Yuma County reported they are seeing a lower number of migrants crossing the border.
Customs and Border Patrol announced seeing a 95% drop in migrant encounters this month.
Do you think CBP One will continue to be effective in limiting migrants crossing the border?