The Trump administration has taken a decisive step in its efforts to restore order at the southern border, repurposing a mobile application that was once a cornerstone of Biden-era immigration policies. The CBP One app, which previously allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to schedule appointments for parole into the United States, will now serve an entirely different function—encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport.
Rebranded as CBP Home, the app will enable migrants to “submit intent to depart” and “verify departure,” providing a streamlined system for those willing to leave voluntarily. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will also use the app to track individuals who remain in the country, facilitating removals when necessary.
Crucially, the transition will happen automatically on devices that previously had Biden’s version installed, ensuring that those who entered the U.S. using the old system are now directly targeted for departure.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made the administration’s position clear: “The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One App to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. With the launching of the CBP Home App, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system.”
Noem further emphasized that illegal migrants now have a choice: leave voluntarily and potentially return through legal channels in the future, or face removal with no possibility of coming back.
The shift is part of a broader crackdown that began on President Trump’s first day back in office. His administration immediately shut down the Biden-era version of the app, froze parole applications, and empowered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cancel parole statuses granted under the previous administration.
In addition to the app, the Trump administration has launched an aggressive campaign to deter illegal immigration. DHS recently rolled out a multimillion-dollar ad initiative, broadcasting warnings both domestically and internationally.
The message is unambiguous: those in the U.S. illegally must leave, or they will be deported and permanently barred from returning. “If you are considering entering America illegally, don’t even think about it,” Noem warned. “If you come to our country and you break our laws, we will hunt you down.”
Enforcement efforts are already in motion. In just the first 18 days of Trump’s second term, the administration has deported 11,000 illegal aliens. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense is preparing Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to house tens of thousands of criminal illegal alien detainees, signaling that large-scale removals are on the horizon.