Migrants Who Used Biden-Era App Ordered to Leave US Immediately

Thousands of migrants who entered the US during the Joe Biden administration through a special app for asylum appointments are now being instructed to leave “immediately.”

The approximately 900,000 migrants who used the app, CBP One, were initially allowed to stay in the US for two years under a “parole” status, which permitted them to work legally. However, many of these individuals are now being informed that their paroles have been revoked and that they could face prosecution if they remain in the country.

In response, the Trump administration has recently renamed the app CBP Home, which is now being used to facilitate “self-deportations.”

In an email seen by the BBC, a migrant was told “it is time for you to leave the United States”.

“If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that result in your removal from the United States – unless you have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here,” the email adds.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that “the Biden Administration abused the parole authority to allow millions of illegal aliens into the US which further fuelled the worst border crisis in US history”.

“Cancelling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the statement added.

It remains unclear how many individuals have received the notices, though immigration officials have confirmed that they were issued to “some” of those paroled into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that these cancellations and orders to leave do not apply to migrants in two specific parole programs—those designed for certain Ukrainians and Afghans.

Immigration advocates report that nationals from Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador are among those affected by the sudden revocation of parole status.

The notices also inform recipients that any benefits granted under their parole, including work authorization, are now void—leaving many facing an uncertain and potentially perilous future.

“You will be subject to potential criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties, and any other lawful options available to the federal government,” it says.

The CBP One app, originally introduced in 2020, was significantly expanded under the Biden administration to streamline the asylum process by allowing migrants to schedule appointments at official ports of entry. The app was seen as a humanitarian tool that aimed to reduce illegal crossings and protect asylum seekers from exploitation and dangerous travel conditions.

However, in a major policy shift under the Trump administration, the app was rebranded as CBP Home in March 2025 and repurposed for what officials are calling “voluntary self-deportation.”

The app also asks migrants whether they have “enough money to depart the United States” and whether they have a “valid, unexpired passport from your original country of citizenship”.