The Trump administration introduced a new app on Monday, CBP Home, aimed at allowing undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to voluntarily “self-deport” rather than face potential arrest and detention.
The app, developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, offers individuals the option to signal their “intent to depart,” providing an opportunity to leave the U.S. and possibly return legally in the future.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the app as a way for immigrants to “leave now and self-deport” to potentially re-enter the U.S. legally in the future. She warned that those who do not use the app to depart voluntarily will be found, deported, and banned from returning.
This initiative builds on President Donald Trump’s broader deportation efforts, which aim to increase the number of illegal immigrants removed from the U.S. Trump’s earlier deportation efforts fell short of the fiscal year 2024 average under President Joe Biden, although Biden’s numbers included many recent border crossers.
In addition to the CBP Home app, the Trump administration is implementing other measures to pressurize immigrants to leave. A new regulation set to take effect on April 11 will require individuals without legal status to register with the federal government or face potential fines or jail time.
CBP Home replaces the CBP One app, launched under the Biden administration, which allowed migrants in Mexico to schedule appointments for legal entry at U.S. border crossings. Republicans criticized the Biden-era app, claiming it facilitated mass migration without adequately vetting migrants.
Upon taking office, Trump shut down CBP One, leaving migrants with pending appointments uncertain of their next steps.
