Rajani Srinivasan became one of the first people to access the newly added self-deportation feature on the CBP Home App following the revocation of her visa. By using this app, she avoided having to go through a formal deportation process and opted for a voluntary exit from the country.
Hailing from India, Srinivasan entered the US several years ago on an F-1 student visa to pursue her doctorate in Urban Planning at Columbia University. On March 5, 2025, her visa was revoked, as she was accused of “advocating for violence and terrorism.”
As cited by Homeland Security, “Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization.”
What is the CBP Home App?
The CBP Home App is crafted by the Department of Homeland Security. The app is created for people who are living illegally and want self-deportation from the US.
The Trump administration introduced the CBP Home App as an initiative to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the country.
According to Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, the app makes filing a notice of intent to leave much easier, safer, and more efficient. Following the defunct CBP One app, this new app is free to use on mobile devices.
Kristi Noem shared about the CBP One app on X, writing, "The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One App to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. With the launch of the CBP Home App, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system."
{{/usCountry}}Kristi Noem shared about the CBP One app on X, writing, "The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One App to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. With the launch of the CBP Home App, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system."
{{/usCountry}}She added, "The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream. If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return."
This self-deportation tool is part of a broader $200 million campaign designed to encourage illegal immigrants simply to “Stay Out and Leave Now,” as cited by India Today.
The Department of Homeland Security believes that through self-deportation, they can improve the integrity of the immigration system and encourage voluntary compliance with the law.