Trump administration introduces app offering self-deportation option

The Trump administration on Monday rolled out a new app designed to allow immigrants in the United States who are in the country illegally to "self-deport" rather than face arrest and detention, furthering President Donald Trump's hard-line deportation efforts.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection app, known as CBP Home, provides users with an option to signal their "intent to depart," according to a statement from the agency. In the statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

The initiative comes as part of the Trump administration's broader push to deport record numbers of migrants residing in the country illegally. Although Trump’s deportation numbers initially trailed the monthly averages seen in fiscal year 2024 under the Biden administration, where deportations included many recent border crossers, the new app is one of several measures aimed at encouraging voluntary departure.

In addition to the app, a new regulation set to take effect on April 11 will require individuals lacking legal status to register with the federal government or face fines or jail time. The CBP Home app replaces CBP One, an app launched under the Biden administration that, among other features, allowed nearly one million migrants in Mexico to schedule appointments to request entry at legal border crossings—a program that Republicans criticized for allegedly facilitating mass migration and not adequately vetting migrants.

Earlier in his term, Trump shut down CBP One shortly after taking office, leaving migrants with pending appointments without clear guidance on their next steps. The new app represents a pivot in strategy, providing a channel for self-deportation that officials say could also preserve future opportunities for legal reentry.

As the administration continues to implement its immigration policies, the rollout of the CBP Home app underscores its commitment to a tougher stance on illegal immigration while attempting to offer a controlled exit strategy for those residing in the United States unlawfully.

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