
Assistance, stipend for migrants to self-deport, but some living in Colorado still have concerns
The Department of Homeland Security claims that self deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective option as opposed to the ongoing detention of immigrants at facilities like those in Aurora until they are removed from the U.S. Some in Colorado are concerned about incentivizing people to leave voluntarily.
It's in law offices like Conor Gleason's where the fear among migrant families about their status in the U.S. has reached an all-time high.
"Most people are coming to us with a certain degree of fear, crisis, and there's a general sense of chaos," said Gleason, who is a Senior Immigration Attorney at the Meyer Law Office. "Our consult hours are booked very far out."
Many questions focus on how people can stay, but Gleason says there have also been questions surrounding on if migrants can leave the U.S., especially in the wake of a new incentive by the federal government.
CBS
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it will be offering financial and travel support, as well as a $1,000 stipend if migrants self-deport using the CBP One app. The stipend would be granted once an individual can prove with the app that they have made it back to their home country.
"What I believe this program is a way to save money and to force people to leave who could actually have the opportunity to stay here permanently and a pathway to status," said Gleason.
Some migrant families and people who've been helping the migrant community tell CBS Colorado off camera they worry the offer is too good to be true, despite claims by DHS leaders that self deportation is the "best, safest and most cost-effective" option.
Some people helping migrants return back to their home say they do not know if migrants will really receive this stipend upon return, or if people who don't have any form of passport or identification will receive help.
Anyone with the old CBP One app installed on their device will now be redirected to the self deportation app.
CBS
"I've met countless folks who, on their journey to the United States, were robbed of their documentation," said Gleason. "You can't generally enter the country without some sort of documentation proving that you're allowed to."
Gleason worries that if people do choose to leave, it could put them in a position where they may not be able to come back.
"If they have a certain amount of unlawful presence, they can't return for three months," he said. "If they have more than a year of unlawful presence, they can't return for 10 years. There are a lot of folks here who have been here for more than a year unlawfully."
CBS Colorado reached out to DHS to address questions raised by the migrant community about how this program will work and who will receive assistance, but has not heard back.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gizmodo
34 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Social Media Fascists Want DHS and JD Vance to Deport the ‘Menswear Guy'
Derek Guy, a fashion writer more commonly known as 'the Menswear Guy' on X, posted Monday about his experience as an undocumented immigrant brought to the U.S. as a child. Far-right extremists quickly called for Guy to be deported, something that's not entirely unexpected on a social media platform that's turned into an even greater cesspool of hate ever since Elon Musk bought it. What turned out to be somewhat unexpected was the vice president of the United States and the Department of Homeland Security posting gifs to suggest they might really deport him. It all started on Saturday, June 7, when Guy tweeted that while he admired the courage of protesters against ICE, he thought violent protests were counterproductive. Some folks on X and Bluesky thought Guy was lecturing people who were putting their bodies on the line in resistance to ICE round-ups in Los Angeles, stirring some criticism. The following day, Guy seemed compelled to talk about his own experience with immigration, writing on X, 'My family escaped Vietnam after the Tet Offensive and went through an arduous journey that eventually landed them in the Canada. My father worked there for a time as a janitor; my mother, a secretary.' Guy went on to explain that when work fell through in Canada his father went to the U.S. 'as our family needed money' and he ended up 'staying longer than he was supposed to.' Guy writes that he was carried over the U.S.-Canada border by his mother while he was still a baby. 'I'm still unsure whether we technically broke an immigration law,' Guy wrote. 'The border between Canada and the United States was pretty porous (as it is today, for the most part). But either way, since I came here without legal documentation, I eventually fell into the category of being an undocumented immigrant. Yet, I've been in the United States since I was a baby. My identity and roots are very much based in this country, no different from anyone else.' I debated whether to share my story on here, but I guess I will. I think there's an idea out there that millions of violent criminals are pouring across the border, carrying machetes and drugs, looking to harm Americans. Certainly, while some people fall into that category, the… — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 8, 2025 Guy went on to explain (in a very lengthy post) that most immigrants simply aren't violent criminals and that 'sending us 'back' to our 'home' country would mean sending someone to a foreign land.' But the admission that Guy may be undocumented in the U.S. led to various X accounts calling for him to get kicked out of the country. An account called @growing_daniel wrote, 'JD Vance I know you're reading this and you have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever,' in a quote-tweet about Guy's immigration status. Vance replied with a GIF of actor Jack Nicholson vigorously nodding his head. Guy got a good burn in on the vice president, quote-tweeting Vance with 'i think i can outrun you in these clothes.' Guy frequently critiques the fashion choices of conservative men, something that really seems to irk many of his followers, given the fact that they rely on him for advice on clothes. Guy has previously made fun of Vance's pants for being too short and skinny. i think i can outrun you in these clothes — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 9, 2025 As if it wasn't bad enough that Vance was suggesting he might try to get Guy deported, the Department of Homeland Security posted a GIF from the movie Spy Kids, quote-tweeting a call for him to be deported. The suggestion being that they had their eyes on him. Far-right influencer Andy Ngo expressed skepticism of Guy's story about his family fleeing Vietnam, claiming he could be lying since he didn't publish his story in 'a publication that goes through some level of independent verification.' The ironic part of that, of course, is that Ngo constantly posts garbage on X without any kind of 'independent verification' as he puts it. Musk and his legion of far-right fans are so fond of saying the traditional media are dead and that you don't hate the mainstream journalists enough. But when someone tells their own story, they're quick to want some kind of verification from the same old-school media they whine about. Guy didn't respond to an email sent Monday afternoon but shared an article from HuffPost on Monday about the attention, writing, 'honestly, didn't expect this is what would happen when i joined a menswear forum 15 years ago.' I shared my story because I think the narrative about undocumented immigrants has become very slanted in order to justify crackdowns. It doesn't help when people think that all undocumented immigrants are criminals who hate the US. The ones I know are good, hardworking people. — derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 9, 2025 The average undocumented immigrant is pretty similar to the average citizen: they dream of getting a better job, they value family, they enjoy social time with friends,' Guy wrote. 'Like most people, they have wishy washy political views and aren't ideologues. They hide from view for obvious reasons. And thus, their part of this story isn't being told.' 'What you see on TV or social media is a slice designed to justify draconian policies,' he concluded.


Bloomberg
35 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Tesla Stock Downgraded After Trump Feud
Tesla Inc. was downgraded on Monday by Argus Research and Baird due to concerns about the company's outlook following a clash between CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. But George Gianarikas of Cannacord Genuity is looking forward and says the robotaxi launch will be very important for the company. He is on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)


Fox News
36 minutes ago
- Fox News
Trump admin may not deport migrant to Congo during immigration proceedings, federal judge rules
A federal judge in Maine has ruled that a 43-year-old migrant man who came to the U.S. at age 7 cannot yet be deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while his immigration appeals continue. Eyidi Ambila, who was taken into custody in September under the Biden administration, argues that his full immigration case has not been heard and that his continued detention is unlawful. Judge Nancy Torresen on Monday granted a motion to postpone a scheduled habeas hearing, a legal request asking a court to determine whether a person's detention or imprisonment is lawful. The habeas petition challenges the legality of his ongoing detention, not the deportation itself. Torresen, a President Barack Obama appointee and the first female judge to serve in the District of Maine, wrote that there are "many unanswered questions" about the case, including about his ability to be deported and the outcome of his immigration case. He will remain in custody while his case proceeds. The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine argues that Ambila has no current connection to the Congo and that deporting him would make him vulnerable to detainment, torture and even death. "This ruling ensures that Mr. Ambila receives what due process requires: his day in immigration court and the opportunity to fully pursue his argument for Convention Against Torture protection," said Anahita Sotoohi, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Maine. The ACLU of Maine filed a habeas corpus petition on Ambila's behalf last month challenging his indefinite ICE detainment and asking for his release. The government argued that Ambila's deportation was imminent, but Torreson said that the government had failed to convince the court that deportation was actually likely in the near future. Ambila has filed emergency motions with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) seeking to reopen his case and halt removal. Torresen's ruling pauses the federal court proceedings until the BIA rules on those motions.