Tap to leave: What is America’s new ‘self-deportation’ app for illegal immigrants?

A mobile application that allows illegal immigrants to “self-deport” themselves?

You read that right. The Trump administration has introduced a mobile app allowing undocumented immigrants in the United States to “self-deport” rather than risk arrest and detention.

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**Donald Trump** returned to the White House with a promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants, following a sharp rise in southwest border crossings over the past four years.

Upon taking office, Trump began signing executive orders to “mass deport” undocumented migrants from the US. The application is an extension of this effort, which provides a platform for **illegal immigrants** to voluntarily declare their intent to leave the country.

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But how does the app work? What is the administration’s intention behind rolling it out? And will it be effective?

Let’s take a look:

The self-deportation app: What is it?

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a new mobile application featuring a self-deportation reporting option for those in the country illegally.

Named “CBP Home,” the app is designed to promote “self-deportations,” presenting it as a simple and cost-effective method to support Trump’s initiative to remove millions of undocumented immigrants.

The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One App to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. With the launching of the CBP Home App, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system.  
 
The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and… pic.twitter.com/F1VVZLOmf5

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 10, 2025

Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection, stated, “The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences.”

Initially introduced as **CBP One** in 2020, the application was expanded under the Biden administration to allow migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry.

At the time, officials credited the app with helping to reduce detentions at the border, describing it as part of a broader strategy to protect asylum seekers undertaking dangerous journeys.

However, moments after Trump took office, CBP One was modified to prevent migrants from applying for asylum, resulting in the cancellation of tens of thousands of border appointments.

According to the Associated Press, over 900,000 individuals were admitted into the US on immigration parole, typically for two years, starting in January 2023.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that migrants who self-deport through the app “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,” she warned.

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How does the “CBP Home” app work?

Through the newly rebranded application, **undocumented migrants** can identify themselves and declare their intent to leave the United States.

The app also asks users to confirm whether they have “enough money to depart the United States” and if they possess a “valid, unexpired passport from your original country of citizenship.”

According to BBC, CBP Home also allows users to apply and pay for I-94 entry and exit cards up to seven days before travel, schedule inspections for perishable cargo, and check wait times at US border crossings.

DHS has described the app as a complement to a $200m domestic and international advertising campaign urging undocumented migrants to “stay out and leave now.”

As part of a major shift in immigration policy, the Trump administration immediately discontinued the CBP One app, paused parole programmes, and increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

Meanwhile, DHS is working to track all individuals in the US without legal status and urging them to register with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to notify authorities of their presence, Newsweek reported.

Notably, all CBP One apps will automatically update to CBP Home.

Last month, Noem stopped the use of CBP One for migrants to board domestic flights, except when used for self-deportation. The administration has also revoked extensions for Temporary Protected Status for certain nationalities, Fox News reported.

Will the application be successful?

An estimated 11 million undocumented individuals reside in the US, most of whom remain unidentified by authorities. But will people actually leave the country voluntarily using this app?

Many migrants may hesitate to use the application due to concerns about **deportation** .

Experts are questioning how many undocumented migrants would opt for what has long been termed “voluntary departure” and what the government aims to achieve with the initiative.

Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, associate policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, told AP, “I’m not sure what their intentions are.”

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“But they’re creating a bit of a culture of fear around immigration right now,” she said, amid concerns over highly publicised ICE arrests and the transfer of migrants to a detention camp at **Guantanamo Bay** .

She said that the app could be part of a “targeted public relations campaign” to encourage more undocumented individuals to leave the US.

Laura Rivera, senior staff attorney at Just Futures Law, warned in The Guardian, “Immigrant community members should be wary of any promises made by those encouraging them to ‘self-deport’ and instead carefully examine their legal options with trusted advisers.”

Rivera also raised privacy concerns, pointing out that experts had long cautioned that the original CBP One app, which collected biometric data and photographs, contributed to the expansion of government databases containing personal details of noncitizens.

Some undocumented individuals chose to leave even before Trump’s return to office, though the exact number is unclear. In previous mass crackdowns on illegal immigration, most notably a military-style operation in the mid-1950s that Trump has often praised, many migrants, including those with legal status, also departed the country.

Pete Flores said in a press release, “CBP Home App strengthens our mission to secure the US border by ensuring lawful entry for travellers and supporting effective enforcement.”

With inputs from agencies