It takes 10 weeks to get an immigration appointment through CBP One, a US official says

Migrants seeking asylum in the United States through the CBP One app can expect a ten-week wait to get an appointment. This is what an official from the Department of Homeland Security said.

In a YouTube post, Luis Miranda, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications at DHS, said: added that 450 appointments are processed through the app every day and most of them are randomly assigned.

A small portion, he added, is allocated (also randomly) to those who have been submitting requests for some time without success. Miranda also emphasized the need to request appointments every day until she is selected.

In its first year of operation, CBP One granted more than 450,000 appointments, less than 1% of total requests. In total, migrants in Mexico have submitted more than 64 million requests. Although Miranda said they have to create one every day, the number of people on the app is significantly lower.

By using the app and not crossing the border, those approved by CBP One can apply for a work permit after being released from custody. Those apprehended after crossing illegally will no longer be eligible for asylum if they enter the country after not previously seeking refuge in another country.

In another passage of his speech, Miranda said the US government is concerned about the misinformation circulating on social media about the app, and reminded that the app is free to use.

“There is a lot of bad information around social media, especially in WhatsApp groups where some say the app doesn’t work or won’t be used anymore. These are lies,” Miranda added.

The app recently made the news because migrants with disabilities complained that they could not do so. Specifically, the app is still inaccessible to immigrants who are blind, deaf, have mobility issues or intellectual disabilities, among others, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center.