Trump Orders Self-Deportation of 900,000 Migrants from Biden-Era Program

In a sweeping reversal of the previous administration’s immigration policy, the Trump administration has ordered immediate self-deportation for migrants who entered the United States under former President Joe Biden’s CBP One app program. U.S. media reported the development on Tuesday, citing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed to AFP that “formal termination notices” have been issued to individuals now deemed to be “illegal aliens,” though the agency did not specify how those selected for removal were identified.

“Formal termination notices have been issued, and affected aliens are urged to voluntarily self-deport using the CBP Home App,” the official said. “Those who refuse will be found, removed, and permanently barred from reentry.”

The CBP One app, launched in January 2023 during Biden’s presidency, was designed to streamline legal entry for asylum seekers by allowing them to schedule appointments at designated U.S. ports of entry along the southwestern border.

The initiative formed a core component of Biden’s humanitarian parole strategy aimed at creating a more orderly and humane immigration process.

However, since President Donald Trump’s return to office earlier this year, immigration policy has shifted sharply.

One of Trump’s first executive actions on his first day back in the White House was to cancel all future use of the CBP One app, effectively closing the digital gateway that had helped nearly a million migrants legally present their asylum claims.

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According to National Public Radio (NPR), the new self-deportation orders could impact more than 930,000 migrants who entered the country through the CBP One platform.

Many of them are now facing the threat of forced removal and lifetime bans on reentry if they fail to leave voluntarily.

“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the DHS spokesperson added, defending the policy as a fulfillment of President Trump’s campaign pledges.

The termination notices were reportedly delivered via email and reference DHS’s discretionary authority under U.S. immigration law to revoke temporary parole status at any time.

This development is part of a broader immigration crackdown under the revived Trump administration. Just last month, the government revoked temporary legal protections for 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, ordering them to leave the country within weeks.

Trump, who made hardline immigration policy a central feature of both his previous and current campaigns, has vowed to deport “millions” of undocumented migrants.

His inflammatory language — referring to some migrants as “animals” and “monsters” — has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and immigration reform groups.

Critics warn that the sudden reversal of the CBP One policy could spark a humanitarian crisis, particularly for migrants who had been granted parole while awaiting asylum proceedings and had begun rebuilding their lives in the U.S.

Immigration lawyers and advocacy organizations are now scrambling to assess legal options for those affected, while urging the administration to consider the consequences of mass expulsions on families, communities, and America’s international reputation.