Since the beginning of what they’ve called America’s “golden age,” Donald Trump and his team have made their message clear to millions of migrants: “Leave now. If not, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and deport you.”
Faced with the enormous challenge of deporting nearly 14 million undocumented immigrants — due to the financial investment, logistical difficulties, and the impossibility of tracking every migrant — the new administration has focused on spreading the message that the best option for undocumented migrants is to leave voluntarily.
This rhetoric, accompanied by threats, appears to be working. Authorities have confirmed that in recent weeks, the number of people choosing to return voluntarily has risen. “We’re seeing sky-high levels of reverse migration, people turning around at our southern border,” Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Public Affairs, said in an interview with Fox News on Monday.
Although she did not provide specific figures, the official stated that many migrants are using CBP Home, the cell phone app that allows individuals to self-deport. “It’s a great, easy tool for illegal immigrants to use to leave now,” she said. McLaughlin also defended the idea that self-deportation is the best path for migrants, arguing that if they leave on their own, there’s the “possibility they could legally return the right way and live the American dream.” She argued that to have a chance of returning to the United States, “they must leave now.”
Until now, the figures on migrant expulsions have left Republicans, especially the president, dissatisfied. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official told The New York Post that approximately 100,000 people have been deported, while around 113,000 undocumented immigrants are detained and awaiting expulsion.
Since Trump took office, the administration has promoted self-deportation, invested millions of dollars in advertising, and openly shown what can happen to those who don’t comply. The images of dozens of deported individuals in El Salvador’s mega-prison serve as a powerful form of threat. From one of the cells, with the tattooed bodies of migrants in the background, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a staunch Trump ally on these issues, reiterated the message: “If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadoran prison.”
In recent weeks, several cases have emerged of individuals choosing self-deportation to avoid being locked up like criminals by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in one of the government’s large detention centers. NBC News reported the story of a Mexican woman who, after spending 18 years in the United States and having children in the country, opted for self-deportation. Also in the news was the case of 22-year-old Cuban Eric Dayán Corcho Aguilar, who arrived on humanitarian parole and left just days ago when the Republican administration announced it would suspend protections for program beneficiaries in less than a month.
Inside the detention centers, some detainees are demanding to return voluntarily, following numerous reports of overcrowding, poor nutrition, and mistreatment. Others, already discouraged, have begun their return journey before even reaching the United States, fearing what might happen under the Trump administration’s policies.
María José Espinosa, a foreign policy expert and executive director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA), told EL PAÍS that during her recent visit to Juárez, she met families who had decided to pay smugglers to take them back home, while others were choosing to return on their own. There are also individuals who crossed the border and are now requesting to appear before a judge to request voluntary departure from the country.
By losing their legal status, many migrants will find themselves without work, and some may want to return to their home countries. However, the majority will likely remain in the United States despite their fears. Lawyers caution that the decision to leave voluntarily should be carefully weighed, as the official narrative surrounding a potential return may be misleading.
Immigration attorney Alex Gálvez warned in a statement to Telemundo that “great care should be taken when carrying out voluntary deportations.” Even with this option, he noted, individuals would still face penalties and would be unable to apply for a visa for 10 years. “To apply for a tourist visa before the 10-year mark, you would need to request a pardon […] but it is very difficult to obtain.”
