Sen. Cory Booker sent a letter to the heads of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection on Monday criticizing the new version. CBP One – a mobile app that allows asylum seekers to make an appointment with CBP to pass through US ports of entry.
“The United States is a beacon of hope for many around the world who seek security and freedom. “Unfortunately, migrants must now contend with the CBP One app as their only method of scheduling asylum appointments, which has been plagued by technical issues since its introduction,” Booker told HuffPost in an emailed statement. – email.
“We must ensure that our asylum process is fair and equitable and protects those fleeing violence and persecution in a way that is consistent with our nation’s most fundamental ideals,” he added.
The letter, first seen by HuffPost, comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on DHS surveillance on Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, one of the recipients of Booker’s letter, is scheduled to testify.
CBP One was launched in January as part of the Biden administration’s effort to make border processing more efficient as Title 42 — a public health order limiting immigration due to the coronavirus — expires in May. But CBP One, billed as the official DHS app, has been plagued with problems, including login issues and technical issues for many households.
CBP issues a limited number of appointments each day, but migrants have reported a number of problems while trying to secure those appointments. Many do not have cell phones that can access the internet or any phone. Poor connectivity and cell phone service was also a concern.
“While the CBP One application was as efficient, user-friendly, fair and inclusive as possible, what I I hope it will one day — it would still be inherently discriminatory,” Booker’s letter said, noting the resources a person must have to successfully navigate the app.
When DHS first released the application — which is the only method for Haitians, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Venezuelans to apply for humanitarian parole — it was only available in English and Spanish, despite the fact that most Haitian citizens only speak Haitian Creole. In February, CBP added a Haitian Creole translation, but the error messages still only appear in English, Booker notes. Appointments are inaccessible to those who cannot read.
Migrants are also required to take a photo and enter how they are traveling – whether by land, plane or boat – but many said the app was unable to register their photos because they were black or with dark skin.
“I remain deeply concerned that the technology used to capture darker-skinned faces has not been properly tested and structurally disadvantages asylum seekers of color, and I urge the agency to address the issue,” Booker said.
Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and migrants with large families also have their own set of problems with the CBP One process.
The senator said that while CBP and State Department officials have acknowledged the problems reported by users, more improvements are needed.
“While expanding opportunities for asylum seekers to have their claims heard is vital, I am disappointed that precautions were not taken before our government made the CBP One app the only way to schedule appointments,” Booker said .
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