The Trump administration has started taking away the legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants who came to the U.S. using the CBP One app during Biden’s time in office. These migrants are now getting official letters from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), telling them to leave the country right away or they could face legal action, fines, and deportation. The DHS notice, issued on April 6, 2025, is straightforward and direct.

“It is time for you to leave the United States" “You are currently here because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) paroled you into the United States for a limited period. Pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(A) and 8 C.F.R. § 212.5(e), DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole immediately,” read the email. “If you do not depart the United States immediately, you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal… Any benefits you receive… such as work authorisation — will also terminate. You will be subject to potential criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties, and any other lawful options available to the federal government.” 

Migrants are now being told they can use the new CBP Home app to plan their travel. If they are leaving by land, they should use the app to report their departure. “Do not attempt to remain in the United States – the federal government will find you. Please depart the United States immediately,” the notice reads further. Kathleen Bush-Joseph, an immigration attorney at the Migration Policy Institute, said in a post on X, “Migrants who came into the US via the CBP One app are receiving parole termination notices & being told to leave immediately. 900k+ people entered this way under the Biden administration.”  The government is planning to start charging a daily fine of $998 to anyone who doesn’t follow a deportation order. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Reuters that these fines could be charged for up to five years in the past. If someone doesn’t pay, the government might take their property to recover the money.

CBP One, an app created during Biden’s presidency to let migrants schedule appointments at legal border crossings, was shut down in January when Trump returned to office. It was replaced last month by a new system called CBP Home, which now also includes an option for migrants to choose to self-deport. “Cancelling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” DHS stated. Migrants who don’t leave on their own could be banned forever from coming back, according to the administration. Last month, Tom Homan, serving as Trump’s border czar, said, "If you are in this country illegally, go home. Come back the right way. Do what’s right. Go home.” He said that migrants who don’t report to the authorities will be found and taken to court.

The deportation push is part of a broader campaign called “Stay Out and Leave Now”, which has a $200 million budget. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem appeared in an advert for the campaign, saying, “President Trump has a clear message: if you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.” She stated that illegal border crossings have decreased by 95% since January, with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement making over 32,000 arrests this year. Rajani Srinivasan, an Indian PhD student at Columbia University, was one of the first people impacted. Her visa was cancelled after Homeland Security connected her to "advocating for violence and terrorism" and accused her of supporting Hamas. She used the new CBP Home app to leave the country.