Some Immigrants Want To Self-deport But They’re Hitting Roadblocks And Confusion

The Trump management has been urging immigrants without ineligible migration position to self-deport, pinch video and power messages by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem telling them: "Leave now — if you don't, we will find you and deport you."

But a number of immigrants and their attorneys told Noticias Telemundo that they're not getting nan documents and nan guidance they need, and haven't been capable to leave.

“I felt sad, honestly,” Jairo Sequeira said astir his grounded effort to return to his location state of Nicaragua. He said he tried to self-deport astatine nan extremity of May and filled retired nan voluntary departure shape done nan CBP Home app. Sequeira was turned away, he said, because he didn't person a Nicaraguan passport, which was taken erstwhile he surrendered successful 2021 to migration authorities successful El Paso, Texas, aft entering nan U.S.

“I ne'er thought that would hap astatine nan airport,” said Sequeira, whose suitcase still has a Nicaragua-bound sticker. “I was ever successful touch [with my family], telling them, ‘I’ll get astatine specified and specified a time,’ excited.”

After utilizing nan CBP Home app, he received an email, which he showed Noticias Telemundo. “Thank you for submitting your volition to depart nan United States voluntarily. Your submission has been confirmed,” it said. Sequeira printed it retired and took pinch him connected his travel 3 days later.

He traveled from Georgia to Texas to drawback a level to Nicaragua. But erstwhile he arrived astatine nan gate, an hose worker told him he couldn’t alert without his Nicaraguan passport. Sequeira explained that some his passport and Nicaraguan nationalist personality paper were taken by U.S. migration authorities. Though he showed nan supplier nan CBP Home email he got, he wasn't allowed to alert home.

In consequence to questions from Noticias Telemundo, a Department of Homeland Security charismatic stated successful an email that “tens of thousands of immigrants” person utilized nan CBP Home app to self-deport. They didn't supply an nonstop number aliases reply circumstantial questions astir nan process.

Announced successful early March, CBP Home is portion of nan Project Homecoming program, done which nan Trump management offers undocumented immigrants 2 options: time off voluntarily pinch nan committedness of authorities support and financial assistance, aliases “stay and look nan process."

Sequeira said that erstwhile he decided to self-deport, he asked a organization statement successful Atlanta, Georgia, for thief filling retired nan shape connected nan CBP Home app. Sequeira doesn’t cognize if nan personification successful Atlanta who helped him capable retired nan accusation indicated online that Sequeira needed thief pinch his passport and ID. With his ain savings, he bought nan level summons home.

Sequeira said he didn't cognize really to retrieve nan documents he gave to officials astatine nan separator and added that, astatine slightest until July 8, he had tried to get his passport replaced done attorneys successful Nicaragua. But nan attorneys backmost location asked Sequeira for his nationalist personality card, which was besides taken erstwhile he entered nan country, he said.

Noticias Telemundo contacted United Airlines — nan hose Sequeira was expected to recreation connected — but successful a little email response, nan institution referred questions to Customs and Border Protection.

CBP past referred Noticias Telemundo to nan Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond to circumstantial questions. In an email, it indicated that overseas nationals seeking voluntary departure “through nan CBP Home exertion whitethorn beryllium eligible to person financial assistance for their departure.” They besides stated that, if requested, nan U.S. authorities will assistance them successful booking tickets and/or obtaining basal recreation documents.

DHS did not explicate what this assistance entails nor what happens to immigrants whose passports were withheld by U.S. migration authorities aliases who person been incapable to renew aliases switch their recognition documents. The DHS charismatic besides did not respond to questions astir really galore group person registered to self-deport and are waiting to return to their countries.

According to accusation on nan app’s website, those who registry connected nan app are assigned a departure day astir 21 days aft signing up. However, it’s unclear what happens if an migrant decides to time off earlier that deadline, aliases really agelong nan process whitethorn take.

In early May, Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and nan DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to return nan basal actions to facilitate “the accelerated departure” of those who “do not person a valid recreation archive from their state of citizenship aliases nationality aliases who wish to recreation to immoderate different state consenting to judge their entry."

Regarding a $1,000 “exit bonus,” DHS states connected its website that immigrants will person it aft confirming they person near nan U.S. and landed successful different country. It besides says that a slope relationship is not required and that “the transportation method will alteration depending connected nan guidelines and regulations of nan circumstantial country.”

'I want to spell to Nicaragua'

Titza Escobar didn’t cognize really to self-deport, but believed that if she turned herself successful astatine a constabulary position successful Miami, Florida, she would beryllium sent backmost to her location state of Nicaragua.

Escobar said she sought thief from different places, including nan police, a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services halfway and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement section office, but didn't get nan assistance she needed.

“There are galore group who don’t want to leave, but erstwhile I wanted to leave, they didn’t return me,” said Escobar, who is primitively from an Indigenous organization successful nan Nicaraguan Caribbean and whose autochthonal connection is Miskito.

Escobar said she was told she needed documents to beryllium capable to time off nan country, but nan 29-year-old mother of 3 children has ne'er had documents nor a passport.

Escobar was crying extracurricular nan ICE section agency successful nan metropolis of Miramar erstwhile a group of activists recovered her and were capable to supply help.

“She was wholly successful a business of utmost vulnerability. She didn’t person a azygous dollar; she spent her past spot of money paying personification to return her to Miramar,” said Karla de Anda, an activistic pinch The Right to Freedom Network who, on pinch María Bilbao of nan American Friends Service Committee successful Florida, provided Escobar pinch nutrient and impermanent shelter and besides assisted her successful completing nan exertion shape astatine CBP Home.

Bilbao accompanied Escobar to nan Nicaraguan consulate successful Miami — 1 of three remaining Nicaraguan consulates successful nan U.S. — wherever they agreed to thief Escobar get safe transition home, aft she told them she had suffered home maltreatment while successful nan U.S. and presented a constabulary study detailing that her hubby threatened to termination her.

According to Bilbao, Escobar was told that a safe-conduct licence tin return 15 days to obtain, a passport up to 4 months, and that it’s a process immigrants must complete successful person. Escobar is presently waiting to person what she needs to return home.

For immoderate Nicaraguans, applying for a passport aliases renewal is nary guarantee of obtaining one: independent media and human authorities organizations person reported dozens of cases successful which nan process has been denied aliases indefinitely delayed wrong Nicaragua aliases astatine consulates abroad, particularly for opponents of nan existent authorities and sometimes their families.

For immigrants from countries for illustration Venezuela — which doesn't person consulates successful nan U.S. aft a severing of negotiated relations — nan business is moreover much complex.

'People are distrustful'

Christina Wilkes, an migration lawyer successful Maryland and Washington, D.C., told Noticias Telemundo she had a customer who wanted to self-deport but was “terrified” of utilizing nan CBP Home app and of being deported earlier he could time off voluntarily, truthful he sold his business and bought his level summons to Mexico.

Another customer had a passport, but his woman and children, who are Venezuelan and person been successful nan U.S. nether Temporary Protected Status, don't person passports.

“And that’s nan problem: you can’t get Venezuelan passports successful nan United States,” Wilkes said, adding that her customer will effort to naturalize nan children successful nan Dominican Republic, wherever he is primitively from, and get documents from that state for them.

The self-deportation process done CBP Home is very caller and unclear, Wilkes said. “I deliberation that because group are distrustful; astir of nan group who are leaving are leaving quietly, and without utilizing nan app.”

Unlike them, Juhany Pina utilized nan app erstwhile she decided to self-deport. After a period of waiting for instructions, authorities assigned her a recreation date, but she said they ne'er called her again.

Instead, nan Venezuela autochthonal utilized her Mexican passport — she had lived location earlier coming to nan U.S. — and managed to committee a level to Mexico successful early July.

Pina said she’s portion of a WhatsApp group pinch much than 100 members wherever immigrants for illustration her stock nan setbacks they’ve knowledgeable during nan self-deportation process.

“We thought it would beryllium a overmuch faster process,” Pina said.

An earlier type of this communicative was first published successful Noticias Telemundo.