A Colombian immigrant, who identified herself on TikTok as Katherine, decided to share her experience about how and when she received the $1,000 that the U.S. government promises after self-deporting from the U.S. through the CBP Home app.

This program, run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), gives any undocumented immigrant the option to self-deport in exchange for several benefits, including money and a plane ticket for their repatriation, without arrest or restrictions.

Through several videos, the young woman explained how she left the United States and offered details that don't usually appear in official information, which sparked interest among users considering this alternative.

When and how she received the $1,000 from the CBP Home program

In one of her most viewed clips, Katherine confirmed that the code to collect the money arrived while she was still in transit to Colombia.

The day after arriving in the South American country, she went to a Western Union branch to withdraw the cash. There she took a number and waited several hours. When she was finally called, she said the process was straightforward. She provided her personal information and the code she had previously received from the program. She wasn't asked for any additional documents or supporting documentation. The migrant summed up the moment with a clear phrase: “I gave my information, the code, and that was it.” In the video, Katherine showed the withdrawal receipt and confirmed that the amount received was 3,731,000 Colombian pesos, an amount equivalent to the $1,000 USD announced by CBP Home at the end of the voluntary return process. “I had to download the app, fill in all my personal information, my email, and then I received an email asking for more information,” she recounted. That exchange included sending personal documents,A photograph of her ID and the estimated date she planned to travel. After completing these steps, the process moved forward until an unexpected problem arose.

The problem with her passport that halted the self-deportation

In another of her videos, Katherine also recounted how the process stopped when CBP Home requested her passport. She explained that the document had been retained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a previous immigration appointment.

From there, a series of calls and inquiries began. Finally, an ICE officer from another city intervened and managed to locate the passport, which was being held in San Francisco, California.

Days later, the document was sent to Portland, the city where the immigrant resided. Once he retrieved it from the corresponding office, the process with CBP Home was practically complete, and all that remained was to wait for the assigned date to board his flight back to Colombia.

From its website, the DHS highlights: “The Department of Homeland Security has announced a historic opportunity for foreign nationals who are illegally in the United States to receive free travel, forgiveness of any outstanding fines for unlawful presence, and a $1,000 departure bonus to facilitate their return to their country of origin or another country where they have legal status through the CBP Home mobile application.”

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