Migrants who previously gained temporary legal entry into the United States through the CBP One app—a central component of former President Joe Biden’s immigration policy—have now been ordered to leave the country immediately, according to US media reports on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to AFP that “formal termination notices” had been issued to specific “illegal aliens,” without detailing the criteria used to identify those affected.
“Formal termination notices have been issued, and affected aliens are urged to voluntarily self-deport using the CBP Home App,” a senior DHS official told AFP. “Those who refuse will be found, removed, and permanently barred from reentry.”
The CBP One app, introduced in January 2023, was designed to streamline legal migration by allowing migrants to schedule asylum appointments at designated southwestern US border ports. It formed the backbone of Biden’s humanitarian parole strategy, aimed at offering safer and more orderly immigration pathways.
However, with President Donald Trump now in office for a second term, his administration has moved swiftly to reverse this policy. On his first day, Trump cancelled all future access to the CBP One app, effectively shutting down a system that had enabled over 930,000 migrants—according to National Public Radio—to apply for temporary protection.
The shutdown of the CBP One app is part of a broader immigration crackdown. Trump, who campaigned on a hardline stance against illegal immigration, pledged to deport “millions” of undocumented migrants upon returning to office. During his campaign, he repeatedly labeled migrants as “animals” and “monsters,” blaming them for a rise in violent crime.
“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the DHS spokesperson added on Tuesday.
Those impacted by the cancellation were notified via email, with the DHS stating that it was acting under discretionary authority granted by US law.
This move follows a separate Trump administration directive last month that revoked legal protections for 532,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan migrants, ordering them to leave within a limited timeframe.