Biden’s Border Asylum App Has Migrants Waiting Months in Danger
The main legal path into the US faces hurdles due to language, glitches and users unfamiliar with smartphones
A migrant looks over the border patrol's CBP One app during a class on asylum hearings held by Al Otro Lado at their facility in Tijuana, on Nov. 28.
Photographer: Sandy Huffaker/Bloomberg
Domiciano Estrada Cruz fled gang violence at his home in southern Mexico to seek asylum at the US border crossing in Tijuana. He was prepared with a raft of papers documenting his family’s case. But Mexican officials explained that they would need to seek protection the digital way — using an app.
He downloaded CBP One, the asylum solution rolled out by the US government earlier this year, and made an account to request an appointment. At first, Estrada, 40, felt hopeful. Mexican officials told him he would likely receive a slot in two to four weeks. Nearly four months later, he is still waiting.