Washington, D.C. (September 26, 2023) – The Center for Immigration Studies has obtained records, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which raise significant questions about top Biden administration officials’ promises that aspiring illegal border crossers would undergo “rigorous security vetting” when using the CBP-One appointment system for entry.
 
From January through September 5, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected only 698 applicants out of more than 225,000 who had been invited to enter the United States, according to records obtained by the Center through FOIA litigation against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This astonishingly low rejection rate, just 0.31 percent of total applicants, contradicts previous assurances of stringent vetting procedures.
 
Todd Bensman, the Center’s senior national security fellow, commented on the statistics, saying, “This implausibly small rejection number decisively demonstrates that Biden’s DHS is hurriedly and indiscriminately waving through almost anyone who applies, without regard to fraud or ineligibility such as home nation criminality.”
 
The data also shows that similar parole programs, allowing tens of thousands to fly into U.S. interior airports, follow a similar pattern. The numbers reveal that the DHS has implemented no significant improvements to these programs in the past six months.
 
Bensman continued, “These revelations raise questions about the true extent of security vetting and whether the Biden administration is upholding its promise to protect American interests.”
 
The reasons for rejection remain undisclosed under FOIA Exception 7E, which protects law enforcement “techniques and procedures…in the context of a law enforcement investigation or prosecution” when its public disclosure would cause a “foreseeable harm.” Bensman urged that the American public deserves clarity and transparency about the vetting process.
 
The data released only reflects a portion of nationalities that have used the CBP-One system, leaving concerns about security and vetting procedures for applicants from various countries.