‘It’s time to abandon the US’: Trump administration ends legal stay for more than 900,000 migrants who entered via Biden’s CBP One app

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The Trump administration has begun removing legal protections from hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered the United States through a Biden-era smartphone app, ordering them to leave the country at once or face removal.

As per news agency AP, more than 900,000 people were allowed into the US since January 2023 by booking appointments at official southern border crossings using the CBP One app.

These individuals were given permission to work and stay in the country for up to two years under a temporary legal measure called “parole.”

However, the department of homeland security (DHS) has now confirmed that these paroles are being revoked. “Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” said a DHS spokesperson.

Migrants have started receiving emails informing them their parole status has ended, and urging them to leave the US voluntarily through the newly renamed CBP Home app.

In one message sent to a Honduran family, as per AP, the government said, “It’s time for you to abandon the United States.” Many others shared similar emails on social media.

According to CBS News, the government warned that those who do not comply could face arrest and be banned from returning to the US. “Do not attempt to remain… the federal government will find you,” the message read.

While the action applies to those who entered via CBP One but have no other legal claim to stay, migrants who applied for asylum and have pending cases in immigration court are not expected to be deported right away, reported CBS News.

The CBP One system was introduced during Joe Biden’s presidency as a way to manage migration in a more orderly fashion and reduce illegal crossings. But US President Trump suspended the app on his first day back in office, leaving thousands of migrants stranded in Mexico with cancelled appointments, according to The Hill.

In addition to CBP One migrants, the administration has also ordered more than 500,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who arrived under a different parole programme, to leave by 24 April. This group had flown to the US with sponsors and were granted temporary status on arrival.

The government has also attempted to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians, though a federal court has temporarily paused that move.

A legal aid organisation, Al Otro Lado, said people from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico are among those affected by the recent CBP One revocations. However, Afghans who came under Operation Allies Welcome and Ukrainians who arrived through the Uniting for Ukraine scheme are not impacted.

The DHS said secretary Kristi Noem had the full legal authority to revoke the paroles.

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