Asylum Seekers Face Uncertainty Under New Plan
In a significant shift, a new plan by the Trump administration threatens the status of over 900,000 asylum seekers who entered the United States utilizing the CBP One app. This initiative, introduced during the Biden administration, facilitated the entry of asylum seekers at select border points such as Nogales.
The CBP One program, now under scrutiny, allowed individuals to apply for parole entry into the U.S. Using this app, asylum seekers endured an average wait of eight months to secure one of the limited daily appointments, according to Pedro De Velasco, Director of Education and Advocacy with the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales.
“You have to download this app, you have to submit all your information, you have to try every single day until you’re finally able to be granted an appointment, and then you have to show up at your appointment. And then, just a few months after, the rules of the game have changed,” De Velasco explained.
Upon entering the U.S., these individuals are required to initiate an asylum claim within one year, a process demanding legal assistance. However, recent arrivals are now receiving notices indicating an imminent expiration of their parole status.
De Velasco highlighted the difficulties faced by these asylum seekers, noting that many received their appointments through Nogales just before the Trump administration took office. He emphasized the challenges in securing legal representation within a short timeframe. “So a lot of these folks, they’re told they have seven days to leave the country,” he said. “They know that by the time they’re notifying people, they’re out of legal options.”
The notices from Homeland Security demand that recipients self-deport within seven days, with their departures to be logged through the CBP One app, which has now been rebranded as CBP Home, a self-deportation reporting tool. The number of notices distributed remains undisclosed by the agency.
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