Washington, D.C. – April 8, 2025 — The U.S. government has issued formal self-deportation orders to thousands of migrants who were granted temporary permission to live in the country under the Biden-era CBP One app program, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to AFP that “formal termination notices” have been sent to a number of individuals classified as “illegal aliens,” though the agency did not disclose the criteria used to select those affected.
“Formal termination notices have been issued, and affected aliens are urged to voluntarily self-deport using the CBP Home App,” a senior DHS spokesperson told AFP. “Those who refuse will be found, removed, and permanently barred from reentry.”
The orders follow a major shift in immigration policy under President Donald Trump, who halted further entries via the CBP One app on his first day back in office. The app, launched in January 2023 under President Joe Biden, allowed migrants in Mexico to schedule appointments at select southwestern ports of entry to apply for temporary U.S. residency. The initiative was a cornerstone of Biden’s humanitarian parole strategy.
National Public Radio reported that more than 930,000 migrants could be impacted by the termination of the CBP One program.
The administration’s move aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration. Upon being sworn in for his second term, Trump reiterated his pledge to deport “millions” of undocumented migrants. On the campaign trail, he repeatedly described migrants as “animals” and “monsters,” blaming them for violent crime in the U.S.
“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the DHS spokesperson added.
Those affected have been notified via email, with DHS citing its discretionary authority under U.S. immigration law as the basis for the cancellations.
Last month, the Trump administration also revoked the legal status of 532,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, giving them only weeks to leave the country—a further signal of the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement strategy.
