The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reiterated on Monday its call to irregular immigrants to voluntarily leave the country through the CBP Home mobile app, a program that offers free transportation, a departure bonus of $2,600, and the waiver of civil fines for not previously complying with a removal order.
The message was disseminated on the official CBP account on the social network X, accompanied by images of handcuffs and shackles as a warning to those who remain illegally in the country.
"Are you here illegally? You don't have to wait for us to find and deport you. Choose the easier route and self-deport using the CBP Home mobile app," the post states.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on its website that immigrants who complete the process and leave the United States will receive the financial incentive once their departure is verified through the application.
The program is aimed at immigrants without criminal records who are residing unlawfully in the United States. While they arrange their departure, those who enroll cease to be a priority for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provided they follow the established process. The departure usually occurs within 21 days following the approval of the application.
The entire process can be done from a mobile phone. The application, available for Android and iPhone devices, requests personal data, contact information, a recent photograph, and allows for the registration of family requests.
CBP Home began operating in March 2025 with an initial incentive of $1,000, in addition to the travel cost. In December of that year, the bonus
According to the DHS, the program represents significant savings for the federal government. While a deportation carried out by authorities costs an average of $18,245 per person, a voluntary departure through CBP Home costs around $5,100, including transportation and economic incentives.
The initiative is part of the . In recent months, arrests made by ICE and deportation operations have increased, while authorities have intensified campaigns to encourage the voluntary departure of irregular immigrants.
For the Cuban community, the program has particular implications. More than 42,000 Cuban citizens remain under final orders of deportation in the United States, and since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term, nearly 2,000 have been deported.
However, the program has also raised concerns among some participants. At least one Cuban citizen who voluntarily returned to the island through CBP Home reported not receiving the promised incentive, claiming that the payment mechanism has difficulties in facilitating transfers to Cuba.
Immigration lawyers also remind that opting for voluntary departure does not eliminate legal consequences resulting from prolonged irregular status. Depending on the specific circumstances, individuals who have remained illegally for more than a year could face re-entry bans to the United States of up to ten years or even permanently, in addition to losing the opportunity to access certain immigration benefits in the future, such as status adjustment or certain forms of protection.
On its official portal, the Department of Homeland Security presents CBP Home as "a safe and orderly alternative" that allows eligible foreigners to return to their countries "as regular travelers, without arrest, detention, or restrictions." At the same time, the Government has made it clear that those who remain illegally in the United States will continue to be a priority for ICE's detention and deportation operations.
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