Trump administration revokes legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered through Biden’s CBP one app
Pranjal Chandra | Apr 08, 2025, 19:53 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The Trump administration is revoking legal status for migrants who entered the U.S. via the CBP One app, a Biden-era initiative. DHS is ordering these individuals to self-deport, impacting hundreds of thousands who were granted humanitarian parole. This policy reversal is drawing criticism from advocacy groups, who warn of potential humanitarian crisis and legal challenges.
In a sweeping policy reversal, the Trump administration has begun revoking legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered the United States through a key Biden-era immigration initiative. The move, announced Monday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), marks a dramatic shift in U.S. immigration policy and has sent shockwaves through communities across the country.
The policy centers around the CBP One app, an online scheduling tool introduced in January 2023 under President Joe Biden’s administration. The app was designed to create legal pathways for asylum seekers to enter the U.S. by securing appointments at official border crossings. It was seen as a humane alternative to dangerous, unauthorized border crossings, and allowed migrants to apply for temporary humanitarian parole granting them a two-year stay with work authorization.
Now, under President Trump’s second administration, that legal status is being abruptly revoked.
Migrants who entered the U.S. using CBP One have begun receiving emails from the DHS ordering them to leave the country “immediately.” These notices instruct recipients to self-deport using the same app now renamed CBP Home or face enforcement action.
“It’s time for you to abandon the United States,” read one such email sent to a Honduran family who arrived in late 2024. Similar messages have surfaced online, shared by families from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico.
The DHS confirmed that termination notices had been issued but did not specify how many individuals are affected. However, over 936,000 people were admitted under the CBP One parole program since its inception meaning a vast number of lives now hang in the balance.
“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” a DHS spokesperson stated. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused the Biden-era use of parole authority of fueling what it calls “the worst border crisis in U.S. history.”
Immigrant advocacy organizations like Al Otro Lado are sounding alarms. The nonprofit, which provides legal aid to asylum seekers, said many of the individuals receiving these notices are now at risk of deportation to countries wracked by violence, instability, or economic collapse. “We’re seeing people with jobs, children in school, and roots in their communities being told they must leave the country overnight,” said a spokesperson.
This is not the first major immigration rollback under Trump 2.0. Last month, DHS announced it would revoke parole for another 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who had flown into the U.S. legally with financial sponsors. That policy ends on April 24, 2025.
In a separate move, the administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians though federal courts have issued temporary holds in some cases. TPS, which allows nationals from crisis-hit countries to stay in the U.S. for renewable 18-month periods, had been a lifeline for many immigrants residing here for years.
While the administration insists these actions are lawful, legal challenges are already expected. Civil rights organizations argue that mass revocation of humanitarian parole may violate due process, especially for individuals who have already established lives in the U.S.
Critics argue the CBP One app had been working to reduce dangerous border crossings by channeling migrants into controlled, legal entry points. Revoking this option could drive desperate migrants back into unsafe smuggling routes, some say.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Trump administration’s policies argue this is a necessary correction to years of what they see as overly lenient immigration enforcement under Biden.
With a heated election cycle looming and immigration once again a central political battleground, the mass cancellation of CBP One parole is likely to become a flashpoint. For now, affected migrants are left scrambling for answers and for many, a once-hopeful path to safety in the U.S. has turned into a sudden dead end.
The U.S. government has not announced any plans to offer alternative protections or extensions. As uncertainty spreads, so does fear not only among those directly impacted, but also among the millions of immigrants across the country who are now wondering if they’re next.
The policy centers around the CBP One app, an online scheduling tool introduced in January 2023 under President Joe Biden’s administration. The app was designed to create legal pathways for asylum seekers to enter the U.S. by securing appointments at official border crossings. It was seen as a humane alternative to dangerous, unauthorized border crossings, and allowed migrants to apply for temporary humanitarian parole granting them a two-year stay with work authorization.
Now, under President Trump’s second administration, that legal status is being abruptly revoked.
“Abandon the United States”
“It’s time for you to abandon the United States,” read one such email sent to a Honduran family who arrived in late 2024. Similar messages have surfaced online, shared by families from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico.
The DHS confirmed that termination notices had been issued but did not specify how many individuals are affected. However, over 936,000 people were admitted under the CBP One parole program since its inception meaning a vast number of lives now hang in the balance.
A promise kept or humanitarian crisis?
Immigrant advocacy organizations like Al Otro Lado are sounding alarms. The nonprofit, which provides legal aid to asylum seekers, said many of the individuals receiving these notices are now at risk of deportation to countries wracked by violence, instability, or economic collapse. “We’re seeing people with jobs, children in school, and roots in their communities being told they must leave the country overnight,” said a spokesperson.
Broader rollback of Biden immigration policies
In a separate move, the administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians though federal courts have issued temporary holds in some cases. TPS, which allows nationals from crisis-hit countries to stay in the U.S. for renewable 18-month periods, had been a lifeline for many immigrants residing here for years.
Legal and political fallout
Critics argue the CBP One app had been working to reduce dangerous border crossings by channeling migrants into controlled, legal entry points. Revoking this option could drive desperate migrants back into unsafe smuggling routes, some say.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Trump administration’s policies argue this is a necessary correction to years of what they see as overly lenient immigration enforcement under Biden.
A nation watching
The U.S. government has not announced any plans to offer alternative protections or extensions. As uncertainty spreads, so does fear not only among those directly impacted, but also among the millions of immigrants across the country who are now wondering if they’re next.