(UnitedVoice.com) – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched the CBP One app in October 2020, at the end of former President Donald Trump’s administration. The cellphone app allowed migrants to request appointments with the agency. President Joe Biden’s administration has expanded the system, and it has reportedly been used to fly hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers to the US.
On March 4, the Center for Immigration Studies, a Conservative think tank, reported that the Department of Homeland Security transported asylum seekers to the US. The organization has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the government to find out more about the flights.
According to the think tank, the administration allowed approximately 320,000 migrants into the US via flights from foreign airports after they requested entrance through the CBP One app. The flights reportedly took place from January through December 2023.
The Center for Immigration Studies alleges the migrants aren’t legal, but the report acknowledges the process is part of the administration’s “lawful pathways” strategy. According to the report, the migrants apply for travel authorization. If the Department of Homeland Security approves the request, the migrants are allowed to live in the US legally for two years, and the adults are given work authorization permits.
The federal government characterizes the program as “family reunification.” The immigrants are responsible for paying for their own airfare and must have a non-family financial sponsor. They must meet certain requirements and pass security checks. The CBP One app asks for biometric information so the government can run those checks.
The Conservative organization is trying to find out more about the program but the Biden administration has been unwilling to disclose it, citing a “law enforcement exception” when asked to reveal the information. They also claim that providing some of the info would allow the program to be exploited by bad actors. The lawsuit is demanding the administration disclose what airports the migrants flew into before they entered the US.
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