In a surprising move to revolutionise the US immigration system, the Trump administration has re-purposed the CBP One app—renamed CBP Home—to encourage voluntary deportations of undocumented immigrants. Initially launched in 2020 to assist migrants in scheduling asylum appointments at US ports of entry, the app has been re-designed to enable users to fill out an “intent to depart” form, indicating they are willing to depart the nation without incurring harsh penalties.
From Asylum Appointments to Self-Deportation
As per US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the app provides illegal immigrants an opportunity to self-deport without closing the door on legal reentry in the future. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that self-deportation via CBP Home gives migrants the opportunity to one day return to the US legally and relive the American dream. She cautioned that not using the app could lead to being discovered, deported and prohibited from returning.
How the App Works
The app inquires about the financial capability of the users to leave the US and whether they hold a valid, unexpired passport in their native country. After receiving the required information, the migrants may go ahead with their intentions to vacate the country voluntarily. The creation of this app is one component of a wider strategy that involves a $200 million domestic and global ad campaign encouraging undocumented migrants to “stay out and leave now.”
CBP Home also maintains some of its initial capabilities, including applying and paying for I-94 entry and departure cards, scheduling inspections of perishable cargo, and examining wait times at ports of entry. Yet the app’s movement into helping with self-deportation represents a dramatic departure from its original purpose.
Part of a Broader Strategy
Also, the Trump administration has been implementing other reforms to immigration policies, such as suspending parole programmes and increasing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. It also planned to create a national registry for illegal immigrants. Those who do not enroll may be criminally prosecuted, with the mandate for those over the age of 14 to give an address and fingerprints.
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Though the app’s effectiveness and usefulness are yet to be determined, officials caution that implementing a national registry will be a difficult process fraught with logistical challenges. As the US government continues to clamp down on immigration, the CBP Home app is another contentious move in a rapidly changing environment.
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