The Trump administration has launched a renewed crackdown on undocumented immigration, accelerating deportations of migrants who officials say have misused a government mobile application designed to streamline border processing.
According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), thousands of migrants have used the CBP One app to secure appointments for asylum and humanitarian processing, but a growing number have allegedly bypassed eligibility requirements or misrepresented their intentions. Administration officials argue that the app, introduced under a previous administration to manage border traffic and reduce overcrowding, has instead become a loophole exploited by individuals entering the U.S. without legal basis.
President Donald Trump has directed immigration enforcement agencies to increase removals of those flagged as ineligible or fraudulent users of the system. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been tasked with identifying individuals whose use of the app did not meet legal criteria for asylum or humanitarian parole.
Trump stated that the U.S. will no longer tolerate what he described as a “digital backdoor” into the country. He called for stricter vetting measures, increased in-person verification, and enhanced coordination between DHS and CBP to prevent misuse of technology designed for lawful entry processing.
The administration also announced that the Department of Homeland Security is revising CBP One’s operational guidelines. Updates to the app will include stricter identity verification tools, real-time data sharing with enforcement units, and limitations on repeated scheduling by users under multiple aliases.
Critics of the new policy warn that it may lead to rushed or unjust removals, particularly for vulnerable individuals seeking legal pathways to protection. Immigrant advocacy groups say the administration’s response penalizes asylum seekers without addressing underlying issues in the application system or improving processing capacity at the border.
Homeland Security officials have pushed back, asserting that the integrity of the immigration system depends on enforcing the rules fairly and consistently. They argue that the reforms will preserve the purpose of CBP One while preventing fraudulent claims from overwhelming border officials.
The stepped-up enforcement is already resulting in an uptick in removals, with thousands of migrants ordered to leave in recent weeks. The administration has signaled that more technology-based enforcement measures are on the way as part of its broader effort to restore order to the immigration process.