Since mid-2025, migrants in the US have seen, heard and commented on the same threatening message from the Donald Trump Government: they must “self-deport” from the United States, otherwise they will be persecuted, fined thousands of dollars and banned from returning to the country for life.
“Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the United States and will allow undocumented aliens to avoid being intercepted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on May 5, 2025, when it launched a “self-deportation” program through the CBP Home app.
At the beginning of the program, the Government promised an “incentive” of $1,000 in cash to those who use the application; although, as of January 2026, DHS increased that “bonus” to $2,600which are paid until departure from the country is confirmed. The program also includes payment for air travel—commercial and charter flights—and support for obtaining travel documents, only if the applicant requires it.
“CBP Home has generated concern among immigration rights organizations and lawyers, since many people could make hasty decisions out of fear, misinformation or emotional pressure, without fully understanding the immigration consequences of leaving the country,” explains Carolina Sediles, a volunteer at the Nicaraguan American Alliance for Human Rights (Nahra, for its acronym in English).
Clarifies that the program is not equivalent to a “voluntary departure” granted by an immigration judge, “nor does it guarantee future immigration benefits”, so when self-deporting from the United States, even using CBP Home, “the punishments” of five years, ten years or permanent – depending on the case – are immediately activated, for having entered and remained irregularly within the United States.
The Trump Administration claimed that 1.9 million migrants had “self-deported” by December 2025. However, independent experts believe that these “numbers are false.” Besides, a report from CNN in Spanish indicates that, based on internal DHS documents, as of March 2026, some 72,000 migrants had “self-deported,” most of them being detained by ICE.
CONFIDENTIAL He spoke with experts and consulted NGOs on immigration issues, which detail the operation, scope and risks of self-deportation from the United States through the CBP Home program. As well as who should or should not use that program, and how the promised $2,600 is paid.
Who might be eligible?
The Trump Administration has directed this program mainly to people who do not have current immigration status, who have final deportation orders, who wish to leave voluntarily, who do not qualify for any type of immigration relief or who want to avoid arrest or formal deportation by ICE.
According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the following are eligible:
- Foreigners without criminal records who are in the country illegally and who had a previous encounter with CBP: This group includes those who showed up at a port of entry, those who crossed the border and were intercepted by border patrol, and people who entered legally but whose immigration status has already expired.
- Therefore, all non-citizens who entered without inspection and who have never been stopped or searched by CBP are explicitly excluded.
- Migrants under categorical parole programsparole” defeated or to be defeated, among which there are some Nicaraguans.
CBP advises that the mobile application will not reject an ineligible applicant until they have fully entered their biometric data. This means that a migrant who does not meet the requirements, but attempts to register anyway, will have voluntarily exposed all of their information and location, opening the door for ICE to proceed to their immediate detention.
Experts advise that before using any “self-deportation” program, migrants check: if they have accumulated immigration penalties, if there is a pending family petition, if they have a court or asylum appointment, if they could adjust status in the future, if they have a deportation order or if there is any humanitarian protection available. Because leaving “voluntarily” can close future immigration options in most cases.
What type of migrant should consider self-deportation?
- Migrants who are in the United States without current legal status.
- Migrant who does not have a strong or viable case to stay legally.
- Who has already decided to voluntarily self-deport from the United States, understanding the legal consequences of leaving after having remained irregularly in the United States.
- People who want to avoid detention or formal deportation carried out by ICE.
- Migrants who have already consulted with a lawyer about their immigration situation, especially if they have accumulated illegal presence, deportation order, multiple entries or immigration punishments.
Who should NOT self-deport from the United States?
- Migrants with pending asylum process.
- Migrants with an open immigration court.
- Migrants with a pending family petition.
- Migrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
- Migrants with a real possibility of adjustment of status, through a VAWA Visafor domestic violence victim; U Visafor victims of certain violent crimes; T visa, for victims of labor or sexual trafficking; or other humanitarian relief.
- Migrants with children or a citizen or resident spouse, who could request it.
How does the self-reporting process work with CBP Home?
- The migrant downloads the CBP Home application which is available for Android and Apple. The app now includes the “Intent to Depart” feature.
- The person registers their intention to voluntarily leave the United States and must enter basic information such as: Name; birthdate; country of origin; phone; email; and send a biometric photo of the face
- DHS/ICE examines: immigration history; the background; deportation orders; immigration violations; and security and crime information.
- Some migrants receive additional requests for information. In those cases, CBP sends an email with instructions to: create a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) account; complete Form G-325R; and possibly attend an appointment at USCIS to submit your biometrics or fingerprint.
- If the migrant is accepted into the program, DHS can assist with tickets, travel documents, family coordination, and departure logistics.
- The migrant physically leaves the United States. You can do it by air, sea or land. If the person departs by air or sea, CBP typically automatically verifies the departure. If leaving by land, the person must use the app to confirm that they are already out of the country.
- After the exit is verified, the migrant can receive a digital receipt, as well as the “economic incentive” (currently $2,600), and the administrative closure of the process within the program.
How long does the self-deportation process take with CBP Home?
There is no established or fixed time, but according to DHS, if the person requests assistance, a “timely” departure can be arranged to allow them to organize personal matters and plan their departure.
The time also depends on DHS/ICE verification. As well as that the migrant has a passport or travel document. If you do not have a passport, the process may take much longer because CBP Home does not help obtain a passport or travel document, and the person may have to contact their consulate.
“Many Nicaraguans do not have it and this makes things difficult not only for this process, but even for deportations from detention centers,” says Sediles.
Furthermore, the departure of the United States depends on the destination countryif the migrant is traveling alone or with family, if they have an Immigration court, final deportation order, background or any immigration problem.
The flight can be commercial or charter as coordinated by the program, so the migrant does not necessarily choose how to travel.
How is the $2,600 bonus paid?
The delivery of the “economic incentive” is described by migrant rights defenders as a “risky bet”, since there are multiple reports of citizens who never received the promised money.
The payment of the 2,600 dollars is conditional on physical verification of departure from the United States:
- Mandatory geographic tracking: If the immigrant decides to self-deport by land, he is required to activate the geolocation services of his mobile phone to allow the Government software to track and verify his location outside the country’s borders. If the departure is by air or sea, the confirmation of departure is carried out by CBP directly through travel manifests.
- Sending photographic evidence: Once the migrant is outside the United States, the system requires that a selfie through the CBP Home app interface to validate your identity abroad.
After confirmation of self-deportation, the US Government sends a physical or digital correspondence with the details of the disbursement. Legal organizations point out that all of these payments are managed through international bank transfers (orders). However, serious operational failures have been reported in which bank drafts expire prematurely before migrants can cash them in their home countries.
Sediles points out that the delivery method may vary depending on the country and its rules. In addition, DHS maintains that a bank account is not needed in most cases, because the person could collect the payment in their country.
On some occasions they have used Wester Union, but there is nothing written that specifies where or how the bonus is paid when they are already in their countries, according to the Nahra volunteer.
“Migrants should not assume that it is immediate or guaranteed money before traveling,” says Sediles.
Can ICE detain migrants who have registered for CBP Home?
The short answer is yes. According to the DHS, migrants enrolled in the CBP Home application receive a “lower priority” for detention and deportation by ICE. However, authorities do not promise immunity or guarantee that the person will not be arrested before crossing the border or boarding their flight.
The moment a user enters their data into CBP Home, the platform automatically transfers the entire file to ICE. This agency examines the migrant’s biometric and demographic data in order to evaluate whether it represents what the Government considers a “security concern.”
In this way, any individual who registers to leave voluntarily exposes himself to imminent arrest before completing his trip if the system detects that he meets the following ICE active search criteria:
- Possess a previous criminal record (including minor crimes).
- Have outstanding arrest warrants.
- Having remained in the country after the expiration of a commercial or tourist visa.
- Record previous immigration applications that have been formally rejected.
As they prepare to self-deport from the United States, migrants are placed under supervision and, in many cases, ICE decides to put them in shackles until the day of their departure.
