Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security has spent $200m on advertisements promoting an app designed for migrants to self-deport, but official data on its usage remains scarce. The CBP Home app offers financial assistance of up to $1,000, a free flight home, and the preservation of a chance to return legally to the US.
Despite Noem stating that “thousands and thousands of people have used the app”, figures obtained by NBC News through a Freedom of Information Act request paint a different picture. Between March 10 and April 16, only 356 people used the app to self-deport, according to the data.
A Border Patrol spokesperson contested the figures, arguing that the data predates the formal announcement of the broader “Project Homecoming” programme on May 9. “Tens of thousands of illegal aliens have utilised the app and taken control of their departure,” the spokesperson said, though DHS declined to confirm how many completed the process.
The effectiveness of the app has been questioned both by Democrats and by undocumented migrants. Lauren, a mother of two from Ohio with an undocumented husband, told NBC News that the process was not as simple as suggested. “You just can’t get on a plane tomorrow and just go,” she said, citing the need to sell a home and dispose of belongings.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reaffirmed that 1.6 million illegal immigrants have left the US since January 20, but did not specify how many used the app. The TV and online ads, broadcast in multiple languages, aim to encourage take-up, but uptake remains unclear.
