Last Thursday, January 5th, 2023, during a press conference led by US President, Joe Biden regarding migration issues, he spoke about the new mobile application CBP ONE where migrants will be able to apply for asylum.

The app can be downloaded for free in cellphones. One of its main functions is to manage the arrival of hundreds of migrants coming from the southern US border with Mexico, i.e., to decrease the massive flow of immigrants who arrive daily asking for asylum.

With this application, migrants will need to follow a series of prompts to carry out their ordered immigration process; they will also be able to travel with more certainty to the ports of entry in the United States’ southern border.

For his part, Enrique Lucero Vázquez, head of the Municipal Agency of Assistance for Migrants, stated that this is an online method by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where people will be able to send accurate information in advance and testify that they fulfill the specific vulnerability criteria. Once this information is submitted, an appointment will be scheduled for an inspection at one of the available ports of entry.

In addition, he added that they will broaden Internet connections in three key spots in the city of Tijuana to speed up the migratory process through cellphones. These spots are: Palacio Municipal, Unidad Deportiva Reforma, which is currently being used as a migrant shelter, and Centro Comunitario para la Coexistencia Pacífica, next to a downtown municipal office.

The available ports of entry in the state of California to apply for asylum are the San Ysidro Port of Entry, also known as El Chaparral (PedWest), and Calexico West. The CBP One app can be downloaded for free and is available at all Apple and Google app stores, as well as the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.