Self-deport! US offers illegal immigrants a way to leave penalty-free

The revamped CBP app is part of a larger $200 million government campaign called "Stay Out and Leave Now", aimed at discouraging undocumented migration

The Trump administration is repurposing a mobile application that was originally used for scheduling asylum appointments into a tool for undocumented migrants to "self-deport".

 

The app, now called CBP Home, allows users to submit an "intent to depart", which US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says offers them a chance to leave voluntarily without facing harsher penalties.

 

Acting CBP commissioner Pete Flores said undocumented immigrants "have a chance to leave before facing harsher consequences" and described the app as a "straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart".

 

The Biden administration had previously used the app under the name CBP One, allowing asylum seekers to schedule appointments at ports of entry. That feature was removed after Donald Trump took office, and tens of thousands of border appointments were cancelled.

 

 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that those who self-deport "may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream". She added, "If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return."

 

Broader deportation campaign

 

The revamped app is part of a larger $200 million government campaign called "Stay Out and Leave Now", aimed at discouraging undocumented migration.

 

One advertisement features a montage of mug shots, purportedly of undocumented immigrants arrested for crimes, with Noem thanking Trump for "securing our border" while blaming "weak politicians" for an influx of "drugs, human trafficking and violent criminals".

 

Trump has repeatedly called for undocumented migrants to leave voluntarily. In January 2025, he signed an executive order instructing agencies to identify undocumented immigrants, build detention facilities, and enforce penalties for those who "facilitate" their presence in the country. The order also directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create policies that encourage voluntary departures.

 

Self-deportation explained

 

"Self-deportation is simply when a visa holder leaves a country by their own choice rather than being deported under force of law," Russell A Stamets, a partner at Circle of Counsels told Business Standard.

 

The concept has been pushed by US officials before, but it remains unclear how many people leave voluntarily under such programmes, he said.

 

Immigration crackdown

 

In February 2025, Trump announced a national registry requiring all undocumented immigrants aged 14 and over to self-report or face fines and prosecution. The DHS said those registering must provide fingerprints and a current address.

 

"An alien’s failure to register is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both," said the DHS in a statement. "For decades, this law has been ignored — not anymore."

 

Impact on illegal Indian immigrants

 

Pew Research Center estimated 725,000 undocumented Indians in 2022, making them the third-largest group after Mexicans and Salvadorans.

The Migration Policy Institute put the figure at 375,000, ranking India fifth among origin countries.

 

Since the start of 2025, the US has deported 332 Indians.

 

Economic consequences of deportations

 

However, the deportations could have a negative impacton the US economy.

A study by Warwick J McKibbin, an economics professor at the Australian National University, found that mass deportations could significantly impact the US economy. The research, presented at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, outlined key projections:

 

Real GDP

7.5 million worker deportation scenario: 12%

1.3 million worker deportation scenario: 2.1%

 

Inflation

7.5 million worker deportation scenario: 7.4%

1.3 million worker deportation scenario: 1.3%

 

Employment (hours worked)

7.5 million worker deportation scenario: 8.1%

1.3 million worker deportation scenario: 1.4%

 

Trade balance

7.5 million worker deportation scenario: 3.9%

1.3 million worker deportation scenario: 0.7%

 

Durable manufacturing employment

7.5 million worker deportation scenario: 43.7%

1.3 million worker deportation scenario: 7.0%

 

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has significantly increased arrests and deportations. Since January 2025, it has been detaining and preparing to deport between 600 and 1,100 immigrants daily. This is a sharp rise from the 282 immigration arrests per day recorded in September 2024 under the Biden administration.