Group of Migrants Journeys North from Chiapas Towards American Border on Foot

In August 2025, the CBP One app, a tool used by asylum-seekers to legally enter the United States, is no longer operational. This termination has effectively closed a legal pathway for many asylum-seekers, leaving them without a formal process to seek asylum at ports of entry.

Thousands of migrants, including Miguel Salazar from El Salvador, have been waiting in the southern Mexican town of Ciudad Hidalgo for permits to travel to towns further to the north. In recent years, migrants have organized large groups to reduce the risk of being attacked by gangs or stopped by Mexican immigration officials. On July 21st, hundreds of migrants from a dozen countries left Mexico's southern border on foot, attempting to make it to the U.S. border.

Salazar and other migrants express concern about the possibility of a new Trump administration stopping the granting of appointments to migrants through CBP One. The app, which only works once migrants or states in northern Mexico reach Mexico City, was terminated effective January 20, 2025, cancelling all outstanding appointments.

The suspension of CBP One has sparked litigation, including a lawsuit filed in the District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the termination of the parole and asylum process facilitated by the app and arguing it violates immigrant rights. Courts have so far denied motions for emergency relief to restore the app’s functions.

Before its termination, CBP One had been used by nearly 1 million migrants to schedule screening appointments at ports of entry between 2023 and 2025, increasing orderly processing while also drawing criticism from some human rights groups for restricting asylum access.

The Trump administration introduced a different app, the CBP Home app, focused on encouraging self-deportation of illegal immigrants, including incentives like stipends and penalty forgiveness for those who self-deport. Migrants attempting to cross without legal process are mostly turned away or detained without bond, severely restricting legal access to asylum.

Salazar and other migrants are currently attempting to make it to the U.S. border, despite fears of a potential border closure under a new Trump administration. The current status of the immigration situation at the border is that CBP One no longer operates as a legal entry tool for asylum-seekers, and there is no replacement that provides a similar asylum scheduling function. Ongoing lawsuits challenge the termination and parole revocations, but courts have yet to restore the app’s functions.

In summary:

CBP One app asylum function: Terminated (January 20, 2025), appointments cancelled
Legal asylum pathway at border: Effectively closed for most asylum-seekers without CBP One
Replacement app: CBP Home app focused on self-deportation, not asylum processing
Litigation: Ongoing lawsuits challenging termination and parole revocations
Impact on migrants: Stranded asylum-seekers, reduced lawful access, increased detention

Sources:

[1] The Washington Post. (2025). CBP One app terminated, leaving asylum-seekers stranded at US border. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2025/01/20/cbp-one-app-terminated-leaving-asylum-seekers-stranded-us-border/

[2] The New York Times. (2025). CBP One app termination leaves migrants stranded at US border. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/cbp-one-app-termination-leaves-migrants-stranded-at-us-border.html

[3] The Guardian. (2025). CBP Home app encourages self-deportation of illegal immigrants. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/03/01/cbp-home-app-encourages-self-deportation-of-illegal-immigrants

[4] Human Rights Watch. (2025). CBP One app restrictions limit asylum access. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/15/cbp-one-app-restrictions-limit-asylum-access

[5] American Civil Liberties Union. (2025). Lawsuit challenges CBP One app termination. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/lawsuit-challenges-cbp-one-app-termination