On President Donald Trump’s first day back in office, he announced an end to the CBP One app, which was expanded under former President Joe Biden’s administration and was the sole way for migrants to request an asylum-seeking appointment for legal entrance into the U.S. Right-wing media celebrated Trump for ending Biden’s policy, which they claimed let “illegal aliens schedule their illegal immigration,” and praised the incoming president for launching “a crackdown on illegal immigration.”
Research/Study
The CBP One app was used to request legal asylum. Right-wing media are rejoicing over Trump terminating it.
Written by Chloe Simon
Published
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Trump shut down the CBP One app, which was the sole way for people to legally request asylum in the U.S. under the Biden administration
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- During his first day back in office on January 20, Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting immigration. He declared a national emergency at the southern border, authorizing military personnel to go there, ordered the reinstatement of his previous “Remain in Mexico” policy, and terminated the CBP One app. [CBS News, 1/21/25]
- Since its launch in 2020, the CBP One app had been a tool for the Department of Homeland Security to identify and track asylum-seekers while allowing some to enter the U.S. at legal ports of entry. According to NBC News, the Biden administration implemented the CBP One app “as a way to curb people crossing the southwest border illegally to request asylum.” The American Immigration Council explained: “The app has become the only way that migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum at a port of entry can preschedule appointments for processing and maintain guaranteed asylum eligibility. CBP One also became the only way that Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans seeking to secure travel authorization to obtain parole through special programs for those nationalities can submit their biometric information to CBP.” [NBC News, 1/20/25; American Immigration Council, 6/2/23]
- Out of tens of millions of applications submitted through the app from January 2023 to December 2024, just 936,500 applicants were granted an appointment to request asylum. If asylum was granted, the approved person received a two-year permit that gave “eligibility to work.” [CBS News, 2/12/24; CBP, 1/14/25; NBC News, 1/20/25; PBS NewsHour, 1/20/25]
- The CBP One app had been notably credited for decreasing illegal entry into the U.S. An August 2024 NBC News piece quoted Texas pastor Abraham Barberi that the app has “contributed to the decline” in illegal entries, suggesting that “now people think, ‘Well, I don’t have to go all the way to the border, I don’t have to cross the river illegally.’” Forbes also noted that immigration analysts have credited “the ability to use the CBP One app” in part with helping “reduce unlawful migration from Haiti,” adding, “If there is no way to enter legally and apply for asylum or obtain work, many people may choose to take their chances by crossing illegally.” According to PBS NewsHour, “Illegal border crossings by Cubans plunged under CBP One from a peak of nearly 35,000 in April 2022 to just 97 in September.” Additionally, PBS reported, “Migrant shelters along Mexico’s border with the U.S. are now occupied primarily by people seeking the online appointments.” [NBC News, 8/9/24; Forbes, 10/25/24; PBS NewsHour, 1/20/25]
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Right-wing media celebrated Trump axing the CBP One app and erroneously claimed that it had let in undocumented migrants
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- The Center for Immigration Studies’ Mark Krikorian praised Trump for stopping “President Biden’s illegal programs to let illegal aliens schedule their illegal immigration.” [Premiere Networks, I’m Right with Jesse Kelly, 1/20/25]
- TheBlaze praised Trump for terminating the CBP One app and “marking a strong start to illegal immigration crackdown.” The piece erroneously claimed that the app had “ushered thousands of illegal aliens into the United States.” [Blaze Media, 1/20/25]
- Conservative reporter Greg Price wrote, “The CBP One app that the Biden admin used to fly over 1 million illegal aliens into our country on domestic flights has been SHUT DOWN.” [Twitter/X, 1/20/25]
- Infowars announced that “the app being canceled means the American Deep State’s massive child trafficking network has been cut off.” The article also claimed that “foreigners waiting to illegally enter America through Mexico were reportedly photographed crying as news of the app’s cancelation reached the would-be invaders.” [Infowars, 1/20/25]
- Project Veritas’ Eric Spracklen wrote that the “Trump Admin [is] already taking action on illegal immigration! CBP One has been officially shut down!” [Twitter/X, 1/20/25]
- Right-wing social media account Amuse claimed, “Illegals can no longer make reservations to cross Biden's open border.” Amuse continued, “The CBP One Mobile Application has been shutdown. There's a new sheriff in town,” tagging Trump “border czar” Tom Homan in the post. [Twitter/X, 1/20/25]
- Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner claimed that “as promised, Trump has launched a crackdown on illegal immigration,” mentioning the CBP One app closure as part of his efforts. Faulkner said: “He stopped former President Joe Biden's controversial CBP One app that allows people to fly into the country from outside our border. Now they don't tell us who is coming in, so that was part of the problem — a big part of the problem — that led to Biden’s border crisis.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 1/21/25]
- Right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong celebrated that “Biden’s CBP One app, which was given to illegal aliens to facilitate their entry into the United States, no longer works.” [Twitter/X, 1/20/25]
- Fox News contributor Kurt Knutsson claimed the app was “like an invitation to cross the border.” He also claimed, “You can no longer schedule an appointment to say, ‘Hey, give me a free ride into the U.S.’” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/21/25]