Why America wants illegal immigrants to "self-deport"

An Indian doctoral student "self-deported" from the United States on Tuesday, March 11.

Ranjani Srinivasan, a PhD candidate at Columbia University, had his F-1 student visa revoked for allegedly "advocating for violence and terrorism" and supporting Hamas. Fearing government action, she voluntarily left the country using the self-deportation feature in the newly released Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App.

US officials view self-deportation, a part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, as the safest option for undocumented immigrants, enabling them to voluntarily depart the nation without facing any legal repercussions.

What does the self-deport function mean?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) relaunched the CBP Home App on Monday with a new self-deportation reporting feature. The CBP Home App was first released as the CBP One App in 2020, had its functionality expanded in 2023, and was taken offline by the Trump administration soon after he took office.

This allows people who are in the US illegally to formally declare "their intent to go" and then leave on their own initiative without facing any legal repercussions. Authorities will keep an eye on the departure, and users will need to upload supporting documentation to verify their departure.

This is part of the larger $200 million "Stay Out and Leave Now" campaign launched by the Trump administration. In a campaign ad, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says, "President Trump has a clear message: if you are here illegally, we will locate you and deport you." You're not going to return. But if you leave now, you may be able to come back and enjoy our freedom and the American Dream.

The self-deportation feature allows people to do just that.

Why was the feature added?

With ads blazing across media platforms warning undocumented immigrants in the US to voluntarily leave in order to avoid harsher action, the function is meant to give them an easy way out.

In the seven weeks since Trump took office, a number of military planes have been sent around the world, including three to India, to deport those who are still in the United States without the necessary documentation. By transporting shackled deportees on charter flights and military planes, Trump made his intentions apparent.

The app has given undocumented immigrants an alternative to having Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visit their home.

The DHS statement claims that "it is not only safer, but it also saves US taxpayer cash and important CBP and ICE resources to focus on dangerous criminal aliens."

What problems does this feature bring up?

The Joe Biden administration had implemented a similar self-reporting feature on the CBP One App in 2023, but it was mainly designed for asylum seekers to register themselves and schedule appointments with the CBP at particular ports of entry into the United States, according to Sukanya Raman, Country Head at Davies & Associates, a global immigration-focused law firm.

By uploading relevant documents through the CBP One app, non-citizens who lack the required documentation could expedite their application for entry into the United States. The CBP website claims that it could reduce wait times and make it possible for all travellers to have a safe and effective experience at POEs.