Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, June 25, 2024…
- President Biden’s recent executive actions on immigration point asylum seekers toward existing legal pathways. That includes the CBP One app. But getting an appointment using the app has been much harder to come by, especially for the most vulnerable migrants.
- Fire activity has increased across California in recent weeks. In fact, state fire officials say the number of acres already consumed by fires in California is four times the five-year-average. And meteorologists are predicting a hot, dry summer that could lead to a dangerous fire season.
An Already Glitchy App Could Worsen Migrant Plight Under Biden’s New Asylum Actions
Earlier this month, when President Joe Biden announced new executive actions that effectively blocked all new asylum seekers at the border, he said asylum is still possible in the U.S. All you have to do is make an appointment through the Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app.
Just download the app on your smartphone, fill out the application and schedule an appointment. It’s easy, in theory. But not so much in practice.
The app, which for the vast majority of migrants is the only way to legally access the asylum system, has had its technical issues since it debuted over a year ago. Yet, the problems go deeper than a glitchy app.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) only allows 1,450 appointments to be made each day. But there are tens of thousands of desperate migrants throughout Mexico trying to secure one. The result is a virtual lottery that leaves some of the most vulnerable migrants in the world stranded in dangerous Mexican border towns.
It Could Be A Busy Fire Season In California
California is expected to hit above-average temperatures this summer and fall, drying out the fire fuel. Coupled with low precipitation and summer winds, dry grass and brush make for great fire fodder.