What is the CBP One app and why is it controversial?

Harris at the Border: Immigration and Politics 2024

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to the Arizona-Mexico border as a presidential candidate.

LOS ANGELES – During the vice presidential debate, immigration became a heated topic, resulting in Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz’s microphones being briefly muted.

The back and forth focused on the CBP One app, a key tool in U.S. border policy. Vance criticized the app, describing it as a way for migrants to gain legal status “through the wave of a Kamala Harris open borders wand.”

However, host Margaret Brennan fact-checked his claims, pointing out that many immigrants who used the app entered the U.S. legally.

“Since you are fact-checking me, I think it is important to say what is actually going on. “So there’s an application called the CBP One app that allows you to apply for asylum or parole and get legal status right away.”

What is the CBP One app?

CBP One is a free mobile app started by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2020. Originally designed for simple travel-related services such as scheduling cargo inspections, it has since become a critical tool for migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Today, asylum seekers must use the app to make appointments at U.S. ports of entry and submit their biometric data for processing.

While the app aims to streamline the immigration process, there have been issues such as technical issues and limited access for migrants in remote areas.

Why is the CBP One app controversial?

The app has sparked debate because:

Privacy concerns: Critics fear the app will misuse biometric data and GPS tracking.
Racial bias: The app reportedly has difficulty detecting darker skin tones in its “vibrancy checks.”
Access issues: Migrants without a smartphone or internet access are at a disadvantage because the app is the only way to make asylum appointments.

Is CBP One used at US airports?

Some politicians, such as Senator Josh Hawley, have raised concerns that the app is being used to allow migrants to board flights without proper identification.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) questions witnesses about the CBP One app during a House Border Security and Homeland Security Enforcement Subcommittee hearing in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill June 6, 2023 in Washi (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that all non-citizens must undergo enhanced screening, including biometric checks, to confirm their identity before boarding.

In September, former President Donald Trump pledged to end the “migrant invasion” if re-elected, including blocking the CBP One app, which he described as the “Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals.”

How does the CBP One app impact the 2024 election?

As immigration continues to be a hot topic in the 2024 election, the CBP One app is facing increased scrutiny. Critics, including Vance and Hawley, argue that the app enables unauthorized migration. But advocates say it will create a more organized and efficient way to handle the influx of asylum seekers at the southern border.