WCBC

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2023—In October 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched a mobile app called CBP One. Over the last two years, the agency has expanded CBP One’s uses, becoming the only way certain people seeking entry into the United States can submit necessary information prior to their arrival.   

Last week, the Biden administration announced the expansion of CBP One’s uses, becoming the primary method for asylum seekers arriving at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border to submit their information to CBP and preschedule an appointment for processing, as well as becoming the only way by which applicants of the parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans can apply for permission to travel to the United States. 

But lack of transparency around CBP One has raised concerns about accessibility, privacy, potential surveillance, and future uses of migrants’ biometric data. Additionally, advocates point to known problems of racial inequity in facial recognition software. 

This updated fact sheet from the American Immigration Council compiles and discusses publicly available information about the CBP One app: The American Immigration Council has a range of subject matter experts who are available to speak on the CBP One app.