WASHINGTON — Nearly three dozen House Democrats raised concerns this week about the Biden administration’s use of a smartphone application for migrants to request an appointment to seek asylum, the latest in mounting criticism from the president’s own party over his border policies.
The group of 35 Democrats, led by Reps. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois and Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona, called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to “take immediate steps to resolve the serious equity and accessibility issues migrants are facing” when using the CBP One app, in a letter sent Monday and obtained by CQ Roll Call.
The app, developed in 2020 for other uses by travelers, was recently expanded to allow migrants to schedule appointments at the U.S.-Mexico border to request the opportunity to seek asylum.
