Washington, March 11, 2025 — The U.S. government has launched a new feature on its CBP One app, allowing undocumented migrants to start their own deportation process if they opt to self-deport from the country. Initially designed to assist migrants in booking asylum appointments, the app has now been reprogrammed by the Trump administration to aid what officials term “self-deportations.” The action is being framed as a less draconian option to detention and forced deportation, allowing migrants an opportunity to depart voluntarily.
The rebranded application, now called CBP Home, allows migrants to submit an “intent to depart,” a step that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials argue could spare them from the harsher consequences associated with traditional deportation methods. By opting for self-deportation, migrants may retain the possibility of returning legally in the future, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return,” Noem stated, underscoring the administration’s stance on illegal immigration.
The app requires migrants to answer questions about their financial ability to depart and to confirm if they possess a valid passport from their home country. Additionally, it allows users to manage other tasks such as applying for I-94 entry and exit cards and booking inspections for perishable cargo at border crossings.
This initiative comes as part of a larger effort to revamp U.S. immigration policy, including a $200 million global ad campaign to encourage undocumented aliens to “stay out and leave now.” The administration also revealed plans for a national registry for illegal immigrants, requiring people over the age of 14 to submit personal information, such as addresses and fingerprints. Refusal to do so may result in criminal prosecution.
Critics argue that these new measures could be difficult to put into practice. Immigration experts have highlighted the practical challenges of managing the proposed national registry, as well as the ethical concerns raised by such an aggressive approach to deportations.
Meanwhile, all of this is happening, the sudden shift in immigration policy by the Trump administration — ranging from suspending parole programs to the upsurge of ICE raids — has stirred passionate arguments. Most question whether these hardline policies actually serve as a deterrent or whether they are producing more problems in terms of human rights violations.
As the situation evolves, the administration’s approach to undocumented migrants continues to draw scrutiny both domestically and internationally.
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