Migrants who entered the United States under the Biden administration’s CBP One app have been ordered to leave the country immediately, marking a major shift in immigration policy under President Donald Trump’s leadership. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the cancellation of a humanitarian parole program that had allowed more than 900,000 people to legally remain in the U.S. since January 2023.
Previously, CBP One was used as a central pillar in the Biden administration’s strategy to expand lawful migration. Migrants scheduled appointments through the app and were typically granted two-year stays with work authorization under a provision known as humanitarian parole. That program has now been abruptly revoked.
According to DHS officials, termination notices have been sent to CBP One parolees, though the exact number of individuals affected was not disclosed. Migrants have been instructed to use the newly renamed CBP Home app to begin the voluntary self-deportation process.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the move, stating that canceling these paroles is part of a broader promise to secure the U.S. border and protect national security. One official communication reviewed by the Associated Press read, “It’s time for you to abandon the United States,” addressed to a Honduran family who had legally entered late last year. Similar notices have been widely circulated on social media.
Legal aid organizations, such as Al Otro Lado, report that many of those who received revocation letters are from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico. Advocates warn that these individuals now face sudden displacement, with limited options for legal recourse.
CBP One, initially launched in 2023, served as a legal pathway for migrants to seek entry into the United States at designated border crossings, primarily with Mexico. By the end of that year, more than 936,500 people had entered through appointments arranged by the app. Upon taking office, President Trump ended new entries under the program, leaving thousands stranded in Mexico.
The Department of Homeland Security further criticized the Biden administration’s use of parole authority, claiming it fueled the most severe border crisis in U.S. history. Officials noted that Biden used parole more extensively than any previous president since its creation in 1952.
This rollback comes alongside the termination of another parole initiative involving over 532,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Those migrants, who had legally flown into the U.S. with financial sponsors, are now expected to lose their legal status when the program ends on April 24.
In a separate but related policy shift, the Trump administration has also moved to cancel Temporary Protected Status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. However, a federal court ruling has temporarily blocked that action, at least for 350,000 Venezuelan nationals who were set to lose TPS protections this week.
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, is granted in 18-month intervals to nationals of countries experiencing war, political unrest, or environmental disaster, allowing them to remain legally in the United States.
Immigration advocates warn that the combined rollback of parole and TPS programs could leave hundreds of thousands of people without legal status, leading to mass displacement and increased legal uncertainty.
