The Trump administration wants immigrants to deport themselves. This is a shit show
A young pregnant woman The Venezuelan woman came to the US last year without documents. After giving birth and settling in Ohio, she realized that trying to stay in the country was very difficult. She had no family support for herself and her baby and was struggling to find work and housing. So he decided to fire himself.
The Trump administration is practically begging immigrants in the United States to deport themselves. The White House says it’s self-deportation, or risk the wrath of ICE, the nation’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
But self-deportation has been nearly impossible for this woman and others like her, immigration lawyers and activists tell WIRED. The US government’s guidance for those who have decided to deport themselves has been confusing and fragmented, leaving many immigration lawyers and advocates in the dark. Some migrants who want to leave the country voluntarily through government-approved mechanisms say they find themselves in limbo or worse.
Jessica Ramos, an Ohio immigration attorney who represents the stranded woman, said CBP Home, a program from Customs and Border Protection that is supposed to help immigrants self-deport, is only partially helpful, and it is dragging some immigrants into a confusing and lengthy bureaucratic process. Ramos claims that this, along with little help from the US government, made leaving the US an odyssey.
Ramos’ client, who asked not to be named but allowed his story to be shared, does not have a Venezuelan passport or money to fly. He says he filled out his information in the CBP Home program, then received a notification that the U.S. government would be contacting him to help him arrange his departure. He says the call never came.
That’s not what’s supposed to happen: In March, the Department of Homeland Security released the CBP Home, which theoretically facilitates self-deportation and fills out a form for illegal immigrants. It also offers ticket bookings, penalty waivers, “free travel” and $1,000 rewards for those who need help. Those who use this program are not supposed to have a criminal record and are also supposed to be temporarily given priority for arrest and deportation. At first, CBP Home was advertised as an all-in-one app that helped with everything from travel documents to financial assistance.
Immigration has become a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s policy agenda, and the White House has strongly encouraged immigrants in the United States to leave of their own accord. On May 9, the White House announced Project Homecoming, claiming that the administration will help immigrants who plan to leave the country. Project Homecoming promises to facilitate travel for those without valid travel documents and provide concierge services at airports to assist with travel reservations, according to the presidential announcement. In a statement released in October, DHS claimed that more than 1.6 million people were “voluntarily deported” by 2025.
“It’s proven to be very difficult to get clear information from the government,” says Jennifer Ibanes Whitlock, senior policy advisor at the National Immigration Law Council.
