FIRST ON FOX: Thousands of illegal immigrants facing potential involuntary removal from the U.S. have instead opted to self-deport through an app provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The number of immigrants who have opted to self-deport over the last month using the CBP Home app is over 5,000, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data shared with Fox News Digital.
The self-deportations come as the Trump administration has ramped up a messaging campaign aimed at encouraging illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily, most recently releasing a flyer addressed to “illegal aliens” that threatens new fines for those who choose to remain in the U.S. despite a deportation order.
“Self-deportation is safe,” the flyer reads. “Leave on your own terms by picking your departure flight.”
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Over 5,000 illegal immigrants have opted to leave the country voluntarily since March 10. (Getty Images)
The flyer warns that the administration plans to start fining illegal migrants who have received a final order of removal $998 per day if they continue to stay in the country, while fines of $1,000-$5,000 could be given to those who failed to self-deport after claiming they would.
America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers argued that the self-deportation push is working because of the “credible threat of enforcement.”
“Our nation’s immigration laws impose severe penalties on aliens who are illegally in the country. The only reason there is a large population of illegal immigrants residing in the United States is because prior administrations have failed to enforce these laws passed by Congress,” Rogers said. “Everyone knows this, including the aliens who have been illegally living here. The current trend of illegal aliens self-deporting proves that even just the credible threat of enforcement can be enough to get many illegal immigrants to comply with our laws and leave the country.”
Meanwhile, the flyer boasts of several benefits for those who opt to self-deport, including the ability to keep the money they earned while in the U.S., future opportunities for legal immigration, and potential financial assistance or flights out of the country for those who cannot afford it.
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President Donald Trump has encouraged illegal immigrants to self-deport, claiming it is the safest way to leave the country. (Evan Vucci/AP)
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“Illegal aliens should use the CBP Home app to self-deport and leave the country now. If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News on Tuesday. “This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
President Donald Trump himself has joined the messaging campaign, releasing a video last month that encouraged illegal migrants to use the CBP Home app to self-deport.
“Leave now and self-deport voluntarily. If they do, they could potentially have the opportunity to return legally at some point in the future,” Trump said in the video, adding that those who do not self-deport “will be found, they will be deported, and they will never be admitted again to the United States.”
“Using the CBP home app to leave the United States voluntarily is the safest option for illegal aliens,” Trump added, noting that self-deportation will also free up critical law enforcement resources that are better spent focusing on criminal aliens.
Venezuelan migrants walk following their arrival on a flight after being deported from the U.S., in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 24. (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
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Rogers argued illegal immigrants would be wise to follow Trump’s advice.
“They would be wise to do so, because leaving on their own will be far better for them than the many penalties they will face if they continue to remain here in violation of our nation’s laws, now that we have an administration willing to enforce the law,” he said.
