Since President Donald Trump’s first term in office and even during his campaigns, Trump has made it evident to the public that his biggest priority, when in office, is to minimize, if not wholly stop, illegal migration into the US. In his own words, these migrants came into the US illegally and have caused the dismantling of the US, as “ they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats” while also claiming, “Your jobs are being taken away too.”
He has taken many steps to stop illegal migration, but one recent step shook the US and the world. The renewed launch of the CBP One App, now called the CBP Home App, has many new features. Initially, the CBP One App was launched under the Biden Administration in 2020 to help those seeking asylum in the US book appointments at ports so they can legally enter the US with easier access. During the launch of this app, however, the Biden Administration made it very clear that the app’s purpose was to make asylum easier and that anyone who entered illegally would be subject to deportation and criminal prosecution.
However, the Trump administration, specifically United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, has made what some may consider a somewhat threatening statement that also contradicts the Biden Administration’s initial intentions;
“The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One app to allow more than 1 million aliens to enter the United States illegally. With the launch of the CBP Home app, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system. The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”
As she explains, the renewed “CBP Home App” now has a “self-deportation” function, which, as its name suggests, allows illegal immigrants to deport themselves while facing less brutal consequences than if they are to be found by ICE. The Department of Homeland Security has updated its site and has instructions on how to use the app. After spending more than 200 million USD on ad campaigns, which is still less than the 96.7 billion USD these “aliens’’ pay in taxes, Trump hopes to eradicate illegal migrants. Many migrants who had been waiting in line for months are now being refused refuge at the border.
Although these deportations are done for the nation, at least as Trump claims, the public can’t help but compare this to Obama’s deportation plans, which many argue were more ethical. Obama focused mainly on criminals and threats to national security and helped create organizations to help undocumented children brought into the US—the opposite of Trump, who has been putting these people into detention centers.
With the introduction of the self-deportation function, the immigration policy is shifting again. Whether this leads to lower illegal immigration or further controversy remains to be seen.
