Akash

Ramping Up Interior Enforcement

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has significantly intensified immigration enforcement activities since the beginning of 2025. Press releases from DHS throughout March 2025 have highlighted a substantial number of arrests and enforcement actions conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Reports indicate a marked increase in ICE arrests during the first 50 days of the Trump administration, signaling a heightened priority on identifying, apprehending, and removing individuals who are in the US without authorization.

Concerning Detention Patterns

In a troubling development, there have been reports of ICE detaining tourists and even US resident foreign nationals who appear to have legal status. These incidents have prompted several countries—including France, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, and the United Kingdom—to issue travel warnings for their citizens planning to visit the United States.

Such detentions raise serious concerns about:

• Due process rights
• The scope of ICE's enforcement authority
• Potential for targeting individuals based on appearance or nationality
• International relations and tourism impacts

The "Self-Deportation" Campaign

In parallel with increased enforcement actions, DHS has launched an aggressive international advertising campaign with a multimillion-dollar budget. The campaign explicitly warns undocumented migrants to "self-deport and stay out" of the US.

This $200 million domestic and international ad campaign promotes the message "Stay Out and Leave Now" and warns that those who do not comply will be "hunted down and deported" with no opportunity to return legally in the future.

CBP Home App: Technology Facilitating Voluntary Departure

To facilitate the self-deportation initiative, DHS has launched the CBP Home app with an "Intent to Depart" feature. This tool allows individuals who are unlawfully present or whose parole has been revoked to notify the US government of their intention to voluntarily leave the country.

The app includes important functionalities:

Intent to Depart notification: Users can formally communicate their decision to leave the United States.

Departure verification: Individuals can document their exit by:

• Providing biographic data from passports or travel documents
• Submitting facial images
• Sharing geolocation data (the user must be at least three miles outside US borders)

Strategic Considerations Behind the Initiative

According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the CBP Home app aims to "restore integrity to our immigration system" and offers undocumented individuals 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."

The messaging suggests that voluntary departure might be viewed more favorably than formal deportation when considering future legal immigration options. This approach creates a carrot-and-stick incentive structure:

• The "carrot": Potential future legal immigration options for those who depart voluntarily
• The "stick": Aggressive enforcement and permanent bars for those who don't

Legal Basis for Enhanced Enforcement

Underpinning these enforcement initiatives is DHS's Finding of Mass Influx of Aliens, which initially went into effect in January 2025 and has since been extended. This finding cites:

• Circumstances endangering the lives, property, safety, or welfare of US residents
• An actual or imminent mass influx of aliens across the southwest border

This determination grants the Secretary of Homeland Security broader authority under immigration law to manage border situations, including invoking specific legal provisions related to expedited removal and resource allocation.

Implications for Different Communities

For Undocumented Individuals

• Increased risk of enforcement encounters
• Pressure to consider voluntary departure
• Uncertainty about future immigration prospects

For Legal Immigrants and Visitors

• Potential for increased scrutiny or questioning
• Risk of misidentification in enforcement operations
• Need for careful documentation of legal status

For Communities and Employers

• Potential workforce disruptions in sectors with high immigrant employment
• Increased uncertainty and fear within immigrant communities
• Need for contingency planning related to potential employee departures

Looking Forward

The intensified enforcement approach, coupled with the self-deportation initiative, represents a significant shift in interior immigration enforcement policy. As these initiatives continue to unfold, we can expect ongoing debates about their effectiveness, humanitarian impact, economic consequences, and alignment with due process principles.

For individuals potentially affected by these policies, consulting with qualified immigration legal counsel is more important than ever to understand options and potential pathways forward.