U.S. Promotes Voluntary Self-Deportation with CBP Home App for Migrants Without TPS

Self-Deportation with CBP Home

$1,000 Incentive

Avoid Forced Deportation

According to the EFE news agency, the U.S. government issued a new call this Thursday for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have lost their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to consider voluntary self-deportation using the CBP Home app.

Harry Fones, Undersecretary of the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), described the app as “a great tool” that has already been used by thousands of people to manage their formal departure from the country.

The official explained during a virtual press conference that CBP Home is designed for individuals in legal limbo, without valid work permits and at high risk of forced deportation.

The concern is growing, as more than 800,000 immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti have recently lost their TPS due to changes in the program, along with about 76,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans in a similar situation.

Economic Benefits of Self-Deportation

Voluntary Self-Deportation with CBP Home App – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Authorities present self-deportation as a “great alternative” compared to detention procedures and forced removal, allowing migrants to plan their departure and avoid violent arrests or family separation.

CBP Home offers a formal mechanism for migrants to notify their intent to leave voluntarily, thus avoiding a final order of deportation, which could bring harsher immigration penalties.

The system also coordinates the logistics of return flights to countries of origin in collaboration with the federal government, offering direct assistance to organize the journey back.

As an additional incentive, the U.S. government is offering a stipend of $1,000 per person who completes the process and confirms their departure, in an effort to make this option more appealing.

CBP Home Helps Avoid Forced Deportation

#10Jul | The U.S. government urged migrants who lost Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to use the self-deportation option through the CBP Home app to avoid forced deportation from the U.S. and “more severe” legal consequences.

Harry Fones,… pic.twitter.com/WCoZe5mqZ7

— El Diario (@eldiario) July 10, 2025

Undersecretary Fones highlighted that although there are no detailed figures by country, there are already “thousands” of users who have taken advantage of the app to notify their departure and be removed from DHS deportation priorities.

Those who use CBP Home not only avoid detention or forced removal but also keep open the possibility of future legal reentry, as they do not accrue more serious immigration records.

The official also explained that the app was previously called CBP One when it was used to manage asylum appointments and other immigration procedures, but now its focus is on simplifying the voluntary departure process.

Another aspect Fones emphasized is the additional economic benefit: fines amounting to thousands of dollars imposed on those who stay illegally after receiving a departure order can be waived if they choose self-deportation through the app.

Immigration Policy and Less Traumatic Alternatives

Self-Deportation CBP Home PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

President Donald Trump’s administration has made border security one of its central policy pillars, prioritizing mass deportations and increasing the detention of undocumented immigrants.

Under his leadership, DHS has intensified strict enforcement of deportation orders and strengthened the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the United States.

Within this context of stricter immigration policy, the government argues that CBP Home represents a more humane and less costly option both for authorities and migrants themselves.

Authorities insist that the goal is to offer an orderly and less traumatic pathway for those who have already lost TPS, allowing them to return to their countries without facing penalties that could hinder their eventual regularization or reentry.