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Avoiding Deportation? There’s an App for That.
“Desperate for information, some immigrants are turning to apps that have no affiliation with the government,” writes Madeleine Rowley. (Mario Tama via Getty Images)
Judge-tracking apps and social-media sleuthing help some immigrants navigate the Trump administration’s crackdown.
By Madeleine Rowley
01.20.26 — U.S. Politics
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“Can a person who removed the ankle bracelet leave the country without consequences?”

That question was asked recently in a private Facebook group called CBP ONE (Latinos, ayuda e información), or “Latinos, help and information,” which has almost 168,000 members. CBP One was a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol smartphone app used by the Joe Biden administration to allow immigrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The app still exists—but has a new name and purpose to go along with the Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. It is now called CBP Home, shows people how to self-deport to their country of origin “quickly and easily” in four steps, and promises to pay for a plane ticket and an “exit bonus” of $1,000.

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Madeleine Rowley
Madeleine Rowley is an investigative reporter covering immigration, financial corruption, and politics. She is a 2023-2024 Manhattan Institute Logos Fellow with previous bylines in The Free Press, City Journal, and Public. As a U.S. Army spouse for almost a decade, she's lived in six states and spent two years in Jerusalem, Israel. She currently resides on the East Coast with her husband and daughter.
Tags:
Immigration
Technology
Donald Trump
Deportations
ICE
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