April 8, 2025
On Monday, March 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), represented by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, represented by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Joe Salazar, held a press briefing to discuss the new “self-deport” feature in the CBP Home app, aimed at undocumented immigrants.
Launched on March 10, 2025, the CBP Home app replaces the previous CBP One app used under President Biden. The new app includes features designed to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order 14159. Additionally, on Friday, May 21, 2025, DHS revoked the temporary legal status of more than 530,000 immigrants from Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba who had been residing in the U.S. under President Biden’s Humanitarian Parole Program.
“We launched the CBP Home app to provide undocumented immigrants with a simple way to voluntarily leave now and self-deport. This may allow them the opportunity to return legally in the future and pursue the American dream,” said McLaughlin during the briefing.
According to CBP.gov, the app allows undocumented immigrants to report their intent to depart the United States. Once they have left the country, the app provides an option to verify their departure once they are at least three miles outside of U.S. borders. This verification process—though optional—requires facial image submission.
When asked about the timeline for self-deportation, McLaughlin stated that while there is no set deadline, “time is of the essence.” She emphasized that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are now fully empowered to enforce immigration laws, noting that more arrests of undocumented immigrants have occurred in the past 50 to 60 days than in the entirety of the previous year.
McLaughlin did not disclose how many people have used the new app so far but stated that she expects to provide updates in the coming weeks.
