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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New school year opens under cloud of deportation anxiety, keeping immigrant students home across the US
As the back-to-school season begins across the United States, thousands of immigrant families are grappling with a deeply unsettling dilemma: Whether sending their children to class may expose them to immigration enforcement actions suggests a report by NBC News. For mixed-status households, the school gates now represent more than just an entrance to education; they symbolize risk, fear, and uncertainty. 'I've heard so many people ask what to do, whether to take them or not, because of all these fears,' said Oreana, a Venezuelan mother of four in Phoenix, Arizona, in a conversation with Noticias Telemundo. Her concern stems from a policy reversal under the Trump administration, which quietly stripped away the designation of schools, churches, and hospitals as "sensitive locations" for immigration enforcement. Until January, these spaces were generally considered off-limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But since then, the landscape has changed. Although ICE told NBC News in March that it "does not typically conduct immigration enforcement activities at schools or school buses," and that such operations would follow a 'case-by-case determination,' the chilling effect is already evident. Absenteeism soars in fearful communities The implications are far from abstract. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Expresses Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo According to a study by Thomas S. Dee, a professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, immigration raids in California's Central Valley, a region with a high population of immigrant farmworkers, triggered a 22% spike in daily student absences. 'We saw, when the raids began, a sharp increase in student absences that was very distinctive from the typical patterns we'd see across the school year,' Dee told Noticias Telemundo, noting the phenomenon was most severe among preschool and elementary-age students, a reflection of parental anxiety. In Washington state's Highline district, chronic absenteeism hit a staggering 48% in the most recent school year, a dramatic reversal of previous attendance gains. In Chicago, teachers reported a 20% drop in high school attendance compared to the prior academic year. The fear, however, extends beyond missing a few school days. "Such extensive absences lead not only to poor academic performance; they often lead to students dropping out of school,' the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) wrote in a statement to NBC News. 'And the impact of dropping out of high school is profound.' Educational fallout and emotional toll Experts emphasize the cascading effects of chronic absenteeism, particularly for already-vulnerable populations. 'Attending school regularly is one of the most powerful predictors of long-term health, well-being, and success,' said Josh Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, speaking at a June conference. This trend threatens to compound the pandemic-induced setbacks in student learning, mental health, and engagement. 'We're in an environment where we've seen historic losses in student achievement... and I see these immigration raids as only adding to the already considerable challenges,' Dee told NBC News. The economic fallout is also real. In California and other states that tie school funding to average daily attendance, absences directly impact district budgets. 'I would expect that to have pejorative economic consequences for these communities as well as for the financial viability of the school districts serving them,' Dee warned as reported by NBC News. Inequities in truancy enforcement The consequences of absenteeism aren't just educational; they can be legal. Repeated absences may lead to referrals to truancy court, where students may face fines or, in extreme cases, detention. And the data shows systemic disparities. Research cited by NBC News reveals that Latino, Black, and Indigenous students are more likely to be referred to truancy courts and have their absences marked as 'unexcused,' exacerbating cycles of punishment and disadvantage. Districts and activists mobilize Educators and advocacy groups are responding with urgency. In Los Angeles, hundreds of teachers with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) marched last weekend, demanding robust district policies to shield immigrant families from ICE-related disruptions. They called for 'clear, proactive protocols that protect students and families from ICE and other federal agencies.' In Connecticut, schools tackled the issue head-on by contacting families directly, collaborating with community leaders, and offering contingency plans. Some districts have turned to virtual options to support students too fearful to attend in person. "In some districts, we've heard from students who can't attend classes regularly right now for reasons like fear of raids, and they've been offered virtual learning," Dee said. The Attendance Works organization, led by Hedy Chang, has launched a public campaign encouraging the treatment of chronic absenteeism as a national health crisis. A call for stability amid uncertainty District leaders in immigrant-rich communities are increasingly vocal about their stance. In Washington state, Highline School District's communications manager, Tove Tupper, emphasized via email: 'We're committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all students, families, and staff,' reaffirming that 'all students have a right to a public education, as protected by law,' regardless of immigration status. But for parents like Oreana, assurances on paper don't always translate into confidence on the ground. For them, the looming threat of a school-time immigration raid is enough to make them keep their children home, even if it means jeopardizing their education. As school bells ring this August, many classrooms across America may remain partly empty, not due to illness or indifference, but because families are caught between the promise of opportunity and the fear of enforcement. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigration raid fears trigger Latino student absences, as experts warn of consequences
As the new school year approaches, the typical worries of getting supplies and organizing schedules are compounded for families of mixed immigration status: wondering whether or not to send their children to class due to fears of an immigration raid at the school. 'I've heard so many people ask what to do, whether to take them or not, because of all these fears,' Oreana, a mother of four children enrolled in schools in Phoenix, Arizona, told Noticias Telemundo. The fact that places like churches and schools are no longer considered 'sensitive' spaces from immigration enforcement actions 'causes a lot of fear,' the Venezuelan woman said. Up until late January, when President Donald Trump took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's operations had been restricted in churches, schools and hospitals. The Trump administration has defended its decision to allow immigration raids in formerly sensitive locations, such as schools. "ICE does not typically conduct immigration enforcement activities at schools or school buses," the agency told NBC News in March, adding that an immigration action near a school would be from a "case-by-case determination." But fear of possible immigration raids in schools isn't just coming from parents. This past weekend, the Los Angeles Teachers Union held a protest to demand that the district do more to protect students from immigrant families. Last semester, uneasiness following immigration raids resulted in more students missing school, according to Thomas S. Dee, a specialist in the School of Education at Stanford University. Dee published an analysis in June whose results indicate that 'recent raids coincided with a 22 percent increase in daily student absences" in California's Central Valley, an agricultural area that's home to many immigrant farmworkers. The school absences were especially notable among preschool and elementary students, he noted, an age when parents are more likely to take them to school. "We saw, when the raids began, a sharp increase in student absences that was very distinctive from the typical patterns we'd see across the school year," Dee said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo, "and in particular relative to those baselines that we'd seen in prior years." What the numbers show Beyond California, states like Washington state and Illinois have seen similar situations in some school districts. In the suburbs of Seattle, the impact is notorious in the Highline district, which operates nearly 30 schools. There, data shows that chronic absenteeism — missing more than 10% of a class period — rose to 48% for the school year that ended in July, reversing gains the district had made over the previous two years in reducing K-12 absentee rates. In Chicago, high school educators also reported 20% lower attendance compared to the previous year. But Hispanic K-12 students were already likely to accumulate more absences before Trump's second term. Some factors include going to work at an earlier age to support the family, health-related reasons or having to care for a family member during school hours. In Illinois, Hispanic students had the second-highest chronic absenteeism rate throughout 2024, at 33%, compared to 26% across all demographic groups, according to data from the State Board of Education. Noticias Telemundo contacted the board and Illinois districts to obtain updated data through June 2025, but didn't receive a response. The current situation adds to disruptions to schooling that have been taking place since the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in widespread academic delays. "We're in an environment where we've seen historic losses in student achievement, sustained increases in chronic absenteeism, as well as a notable increase in the mental health challenges that youth are facing," Dee said. "And so I see these immigration raids as only adding to the already considerable challenges of academic recovery that schools are currently facing." Fewer resources, more anxiety Being absent several times during a school year has a considerable impact on a student's education. "Such extensive absences lead not only to poor academic performance; they often lead to students dropping out of school. And the impact of dropping out of high school is profound," the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) stated via email. The association highlighted that earnings for those who don't graduate from high school are considerably lower than for those who do. The impact, experts have said, goes beyond the classroom. "Attending school regularly is one of the most powerful predictors of long term health, well-being and success," Josh Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, said at a conference in mid-June. This is because absences can affect children's emotional and intellectual development, as well as their education. For example, they can trigger anxiety disorders that further harm children's well-being and further encourage school absences. Several associations have launched a campaign calling for school absences to be considered a public health problem. "When multiple students in a classroom are chronically absent, the churn in the classroom affects everyone, even peers who had good attendance. It makes it harder for teachers to teach and set classroom norms, as well as for students to connect with each other," said Hedy Chang, executive director of the Attendance Works group, which is leading a campaign launched in June. Chronic absenteeism due to fears of immigration raids can have a knock-on economic effect, according to Dee. "This also has financial implications for school districts," he said. California is one of a handful of states that bases aid, in part, on average daily attendance, according to Dee, so when fewer kids show, that means fewer resources. "I would expect that to have pejorative economic consequences for these communities as well as for the financial viability of the school districts serving them," Dee said. In many districts, repeated offenses related to absenteeism can also lead to youth being sent to truancy court. There, penalties can range from paying fines to serving time in juvenile detention. Latino, Black and Indigenous youth in the U.S. are already more frequently referred to truancy court than non-Hispanic white students, in part because the former demographic groups' absences are more likely to be recorded as 'unjustified or unexcused,' research shows. Preventive strategies In response to long-standing concerns about truancy, there are strategies to combat absenteeism. 'There are many steps districts, schools, families and community partners can take to improve attendance,' said Chang, of Attendance Works. At a Connecticut school where attendance fell early in the year due to fears of immigration raids, truancy was successfully curbed toward the end of the semester with measures such as directly contacting families and developing contingency plans. These strategies include reaching out to community leaders, such as local church figures or food bank workers, who have contact with certain families to help encourage them to continue sending their children to school. Another strategy that school principals belonging to NASSP say has helped is maintaining close contact with students — for example, calling their families' homes to check on them. Experts hope that these kinds of measures can help address the issue of absences in students of mixed immigration status who are afraid of potential immigration raids. 'In some districts, we've heard from students who can't attend classes regularly right now for reasons like fear of raids, and they've been offered virtual learning,' Dee said. 'I think educators need to be more aware of the challenges their students are currently facing due to these issues." For now, with protests like the one the teachers' union held in Los Angeles, additional options are being explored, such as a districtwide campaign to educate parents about the importance of sharing an emergency contact with school administrators in case a parent is deported while the child is at school. In the Highline school district in Washington state, communications manager Tove Tupper said in an email they're "committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all students, families, and staff" and ensure all students "have a right to a public education, as protected by law," regardless of citizenship or immigration status. An earlier version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. This article was originally published on
NBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Immigration raid fears trigger Latino student absences, as experts warn of consequences
As the new school year approaches, the typical worries of getting supplies and organizing schedules are compounded for families of mixed immigration status: wondering whether or not to send their children to class due to fears of an immigration raid at the school. 'I've heard so many people ask what to do, whether to take them or not, because of all these fears,' Oreana, a mother of four children enrolled in schools in Phoenix, Arizona, told Noticias Telemundo. The fact that places like churches and schools are no longer considered 'sensitive' spaces from immigration enforcement actions 'causes a lot of fear,' the Venezuelan woman said. Up until late January, when President Donald Trump took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's operations had been restricted in churches, schools and hospitals. The Trump administration has defended its decision to allow immigration raids in formerly sensitive locations, such as schools. "ICE does not typically conduct immigration enforcement activities at schools or school buses," the agency told NBC News in March, adding that an immigration action near a school would be from a "case-by-case determination." But fear of possible immigration raids in schools isn't just coming from parents. This past weekend, the Los Angeles Teachers Union held a protest to demand that the district do more to protect students from immigrant families. Last semester, uneasiness following immigration raids resulted in more students missing school, according to Thomas S. Dee, a specialist in the School of Education at Stanford University. Dee published an analysis in June whose results indicate that 'recent raids coincided with a 22 percent increase in daily student absences" in California's Central Valley, an agricultural area that's home to many immigrant farmworkers. The school absences were especially notable among preschool and elementary students, he noted, an age when parents are more likely to take them to school. "We saw, when the raids began, a sharp increase in student absences that was very distinctive from the typical patterns we'd see across the school year," Dee said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo, "and in particular relative to those baselines that we'd seen in prior years." What the numbers show Beyond California, states like Washington state and Illinois have seen similar situations in some school districts. In the suburbs of Seattle, the impact is notorious in the Highline district, which operates nearly 30 schools. There, data shows that chronic absenteeism — missing more than 10% of a class period — rose to 48% for the school year that ended in July, reversing gains the district had made over the previous two years in reducing K-12 absentee rates. In Chicago, high school educators also reported 20% lower attendance compared to the previous year. But Hispanic K-12 students were already likely to accumulate more absences before Trump's second term. Some factors include going to work at an earlier age to support the family, health-related reasons or having to care for a family member during school hours. In Illinois, Hispanic students had the second-highest chronic absenteeism rate throughout 2024, at 33%, compared to 26% across all demographic groups, according to data from the State Board of Education. Noticias Telemundo contacted the board and Illinois districts to obtain updated data through June 2025, but didn't receive a response. The current situation adds to disruptions to schooling that have been taking place since the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in widespread academic delays. "We're in an environment where we've seen historic losses in student achievement, sustained increases in chronic absenteeism, as well as a notable increase in the mental health challenges that youth are facing," Dee said. "And so I see these immigration raids as only adding to the already considerable challenges of academic recovery that schools are currently facing." Fewer resources, more anxiety Being absent several times during a school year has a considerable impact on a student's education. "Such extensive absences lead not only to poor academic performance; they often lead to students dropping out of school. And the impact of dropping out of high school is profound," the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) stated via email. The association highlighted that earnings for those who don't graduate from high school are considerably lower than for those who do. The impact, experts have said, goes beyond the classroom. "Attending school regularly is one of the most powerful predictors of long term health, well-being and success," Josh Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, said at a conference in mid-June. This is because absences can affect children's emotional and intellectual development, as well as their education. For example, they can trigger anxiety disorders that further harm children's well-being and further encourage school absences. Several associations have launched a campaign calling for school absences to be considered a public health problem. "When multiple students in a classroom are chronically absent, the churn in the classroom affects everyone, even peers who had good attendance. It makes it harder for teachers to teach and set classroom norms, as well as for students to connect with each other," said Hedy Chang, executive director of the Attendance Works group, which is leading a campaign launched in June. Chronic absenteeism due to fears of immigration raids can have a knock-on economic effect, according to Dee. "This also has financial implications for school districts," he said. California is one of a handful of states that bases aid, in part, on average daily attendance, according to Dee, so when fewer kids show, that means fewer resources. "I would expect that to have pejorative economic consequences for these communities as well as for the financial viability of the school districts serving them," Dee said. In many districts, repeated offenses related to absenteeism can also lead to youth being sent to truancy court. There, penalties can range from paying fines to serving time in juvenile detention. Latino, Black and Indigenous youth in the U.S. are already more frequently referred to truancy court than non-Hispanic white students, in part because the former demographic groups' absences are more likely to be recorded as 'unjustified or unexcused,' research shows. Preventive strategies In response to long-standing concerns about truancy, there are strategies to combat absenteeism. 'There are many steps districts, schools, families and community partners can take to improve attendance,' said Chang, of Attendance Works. At a Connecticut school where attendance fell early in the year due to fears of immigration raids, truancy was successfully curbed toward the end of the semester with measures such as directly contacting families and developing contingency plans. These strategies include reaching out to community leaders, such as local church figures or food bank workers, who have contact with certain families to help encourage them to continue sending their children to school. Another strategy that school principals belonging to NASSP say has helped is maintaining close contact with students — for example, calling their families' homes to check on them. Experts hope that these kinds of measures can help address the issue of absences in students of mixed immigration status who are afraid of potential immigration raids. 'In some districts, we've heard from students who can't attend classes regularly right now for reasons like fear of raids, and they've been offered virtual learning,' Dee said. 'I think educators need to be more aware of the challenges their students are currently facing due to these issues." For now, with protests like the one the teachers' union held in Los Angeles, additional options are being explored, such as a districtwide campaign to educate parents about the importance of sharing an emergency contact with school administrators in case a parent is deported while the child is at school. In the Highline school district in Washington state, communications manager Tove Tupper said in an email they're "committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all students, families, and staff" and ensure all students "have a right to a public education, as protected by law," regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
NBC News
22-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Drug traffickers take control of health centers in some areas of Mexico
Despite all his years of experience and technical training, the doctor's voice trembled when he recalled how organized crime groups have taken control of emergency rooms and medical facilities in some parts of Mexico. 'They force us to come in through threatening phone calls, in the early hours of the morning, and they tell us: 'We're just a few meters from where you live, and you're with your family. If you don't treat this person, we're going to pick you up right here,'' said the doctor, who works at a health center in Guanajuato, in central Mexico, and who requested complete anonymity for fear of reprisal. In many regions of Mexico, organized crime attacks have affected hospitals, even taking over operating rooms and emergency rooms, where hitmen kidnap medical personnel to force them to treat the wounded in the frequent clashes they wage with other cartels. The doctor interviewed by Noticias Telemundo in Guanajuato claimed that, on one occasion, he was contacted in the early hours by a high-ranking local drug operative, who made an unusual request. 'I received a call requesting treatment for a person who had been shot by a firearm. And they arrived at the main entrances of the hospitals with long guns, demanding treatment for their patient,' the doctor said. On several occasions, the doctor said, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel forced him to use his equipment to treat hitmen. Noticias Telemundo confirmed that both the local boss and the hitman whose life was saved later died in a confrontation with the Mexican army. For the safety of the doctor interviewed in Guanajuato, their names are being withheld. According to the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, cartels and criminal groups continue to contribute to the high levels of violence in Mexico. 'Organized crime continues to be a key player in the lives of Mexicans. This is evident because some criminal groups have managed to force the Mexican state to lose control of certain territories, and because of the corruption and impunity that allow them to continue to reign and expand their capabilities,' said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, co-director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University, in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. So far, official data shows that from September 2024 to April 2025, there was a 32.9% decrease in the daily average of intentional homicide victims, falling from 86.9 victims per day to 58.3. However, disappearances increased significantly: In the first 100 days of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, 4,010 disappearances were recorded, an average of 40 per day, compared with the figure of 25 recorded during the previous six-year term. 'There are many missing people who, in reality, have already been kidnapped by drug traffickers and buried in so-called narco-graves,' said David Saucedo, a security analyst based in Mexico City. 'The cartels are hiding the bodies, and that's why we're seeing a reduction in homicides in several states across the country. But it's not that there are fewer deaths; there are fewer bodies. They're hiding the bodies,' Saucedo asserted. 'This shouldn't be normal' According to the latest report from the Mexican government, Guanajuato is the state with the highest number of homicides (980 between January and April 2025). In February 2025, the daily average reached 12.5. Last year, the National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Public Safety revealed that 87.5% of the population considered public safety to be the state's most serious problem. 'In Guanajuato, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel is fighting over drug trafficking with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and that's generating a lot of violence,' Correa-Cabrera explained. 'These organized crime groups are fighting for control of spaces because they need more street space, there are more feuds, and that's leading to more injuries and deaths, so they're taking control of medical centers.' Noticias Telemundo visited Guanajuato to document the case of a health center in the city of Celaya, where wounded drug traffickers were treated. According to a state intelligence report, until three years ago, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel used the San Fermín Clinic to treat its wounded hitmen. However, in November 2022, gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel killed two men there and set fire to the now-abandoned facility. 'The hospital where I work in Guanajuato isn't the only one that's suffered this, nor am I the only doctor who's experienced this. We see in the news that these people are arriving at certain public hospitals,' the Guanajuato doctor said, adding that 'I can say that more colleagues have experienced this. One lives with anxiety, and this shouldn't be normal for us.' Due to the strong presence of criminal groups, the Guanajuato state police have implemented operations in clinics and hospitals in several municipalities of the state, to prevent drug cartels from continuing to infiltrate those places. 'When people injured with a firearm arrive, the prosecutor's office sends us a custody request. When these people arrive, we coordinate to provide security at the hospitals,' said Bernardo Cajero, director of the Celaya police and in charge of these security operations. However, the Guanajuato doctor explained that although the Silver Code has been established in Mexico — a protocol that requires authorities to be notified when there are episodes of violence or when a person with a gunshot wound arrives at a health center — this is not always followed. 'They come and take our cellphones, cut us off from communication, and start threatening us, saying that if they see anything strange, they could hurt us themselves,' the doctor said, with fear in his voice. 'One of the things they're asking is that we not activate Code Silver and that we not notify the authorities.' 'It affects us all' Although there are no official figures on armed takeovers of health centers, the Guanajuato case is not unique in Mexico. In April 2024, a 10-person armed group entered a private medical center in Cuernavaca and shot and killed a patient in intensive care. In September, gunmen threatened staff at the Mexican Social Security Institute in Mazatlán with the phrase 'If they die, you die,' forcing them to care for their wounded. Two months later, two attacks were reported at the Culiacán General Hospital. 'What the drug cartels do is take over hospitals, kidnap nurses, doctors, specialists, blood banks, operating rooms, and whatever else they need. They are hospital centers where the wounded are seen and treated, so they can return to their criminal activities,' Saucedo said. In 2022, a report by Insecurity Insight for the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition — a group of nongovernmental organizations focused on protecting health care — warned that Mexico had documented the highest number of violent incidents against health care workers in Latin America: at that time, 14 recorded incidents, including three deaths, five kidnappings, two destroyed or damaged medical facilities and a damaged or looted medical unit. 'Before, they would leave their wounded in clinics, but then they would be finished off by rival groups,' Saucedo said, 'now, for added security, many drug trafficking groups are setting up private hospitals for themselves.' Saucedo and other experts cited as examples of this trend the complaints about the hospital built by the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as 'El Mencho,' and the mobile clinic set up by the Sinaloa Cartel's Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada. Researchers like Correa-Cabrera warn that these incidents also occur in other countries experiencing major security crises, such as Haiti, Ecuador and the Argentine city of Rosario, or in contexts of conventional warfare, such as the conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, Somalia and Libya, among others. 'This isn't something new; this is part of any armed conflict, low-intensity conflict, or war,' Correa-Cabrera said, 'because health care for members of these warring groups is very important.' Meanwhile, the Guanajuato doctor says the tension generated by these incidents, in which armed groups enter hospitals, is sometimes so great that medical staff request vacation time and psychological support. 'The first thing is to save that person's life, regardless of the situation or the accusations, because they are human beings,' the doctor said, 'but it affects us all; it can cause trauma. In fact, there were colleagues who asked for their leave, and anyone would do that. It's normal when you live with that every day.'
NBC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Some immigrants want to self-deport but they're hitting roadblocks and confusion
The Trump administration has been urging immigrants without legal immigration status to self-deport, with video and radio messages by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem telling them: "Leave now — if you don't, we will find you and deport you." But a number of immigrants and their attorneys told Noticias Telemundo that they're not getting the documents and the guidance they need, and haven't been able to leave. 'I felt sad, honestly,' Jairo Sequeira said about his failed attempt to return to his home country of Nicaragua. He said he tried to self-deport at the end of May and filled out the voluntary departure form through the CBP Home app. Sequeira was turned away, he said, because he didn't have a Nicaraguan passport, which was taken when he surrendered in 2021 to immigration authorities in El Paso, Texas, after entering the U.S. 'I never thought that would happen at the airport,' said Sequeira, whose suitcase still has a Nicaragua-bound sticker. 'I was always in touch [with my family], telling them, 'I'll arrive at such and such a time,' excited.' After using the CBP Home app, he received an email, which he showed Noticias Telemundo. 'Thank you for submitting your intention to depart the United States voluntarily. Your submission has been confirmed,' it said. Sequeira printed it out and took with him on his trip three days later. He traveled from Georgia to Texas to catch a plane to Nicaragua. But when he arrived at the gate, an airline employee told him he couldn't fly without his Nicaraguan passport. Sequeira explained that both his passport and Nicaraguan national identity card were taken by U.S. immigration authorities. Though he showed the agent the CBP Home email he got, he wasn't allowed to fly home. In response to questions from Noticias Telemundo, a Department of Homeland Security official stated in an e-mail that 'tens of thousands of immigrants' have used the CBP Home app to self-deport. They didn't provide an exact number or answer specific questions about the process. Announced in early March, CBP Home is part of the Project Homecoming program, through which the Trump administration offers undocumented immigrants two options: leave voluntarily with the promise of government support and financial assistance, or 'stay and face the process." Sequeira said that when he decided to self-deport, he asked a community organization in Atlanta, Georgia, for help filling out the form on the CBP Home app. Sequeira doesn't know if the person in Atlanta who helped him fill out the information indicated online that Sequeira needed help with his passport and ID. With his own savings, he bought the plane ticket home. Sequeira said he didn't know how to recover the documents he gave to officials at the border and added that, at least until July 8, he had tried to get his passport replaced through attorneys in Nicaragua. But the attorneys back home asked Sequeira for his national identity card, which was also taken when he entered the country, he said. Noticias Telemundo contacted United Airlines — the airline Sequeira was supposed to travel on — but in a brief email response, the company referred questions to Customs and Border Protection. CBP then referred Noticias Telemundo to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond to specific questions. In an email, it indicated that foreign nationals seeking voluntary departure 'through the CBP Home application may be eligible to receive financial assistance for their departure.' They also stated that, if requested, the U.S. government will assist them in booking tickets and/or obtaining necessary travel documents. DHS did not explain what this assistance entails nor what happens to immigrants whose passports were withheld by U.S. immigration authorities or who have been unable to renew or replace their identification documents. The DHS official also did not respond to questions about how many people have registered to self-deport and are waiting to return to their countries. According to information on the app's website, those who register on the app are assigned a departure date approximately 21 days after signing up. However, it's unclear what happens if an immigrant decides to leave before that deadline, or how long the process may take. In early May, Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to take the necessary actions to facilitate 'the rapid departure' of those who 'do not have a valid travel document from their country of citizenship or nationality or who wish to travel to any other country willing to accept their entry." Regarding a $1,000 'exit bonus,' DHS states on its website that immigrants will receive it after confirming they have left the U.S. and landed in another country. It also says that a bank account is not required and that 'the delivery method will vary depending on the guidelines and regulations of the specific country.' 'I want to go to Nicaragua' Titza Escobar didn't know how to self-deport, but believed that if she turned herself in at a police station in Miami, Florida, she would be sent back to her home country of Nicaragua. Escobar said she sought help from different places, including the police, a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services center and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, but didn't get the assistance she needed. 'There are many people who don't want to leave, but when I wanted to leave, they didn't take me,' said Escobar, who is originally from an Indigenous community in the Nicaraguan Caribbean and whose native language is Miskito. Escobar said she was told she needed documents to be able to leave the country, but the 29-year-old mother of three children has never had documents nor a passport. Escobar was crying outside the ICE field office in the city of Miramar when a group of activists found her and were able to provide help. 'She was completely in a situation of extreme vulnerability. She didn't have a single dollar; she spent her last bit of money paying someone to take her to Miramar,' said Karla de Anda, an activist with The Right to Freedom Network who, along with María Bilbao of the American Friends Service Committee in Florida, provided Escobar with food and temporary shelter and also assisted her in completing the application form at CBP Home. Bilbao accompanied Escobar to the Nicaraguan consulate in Miami — one of three remaining Nicaraguan consulates in the U.S. — where they agreed to help Escobar obtain safe passage home, after she told them she had suffered domestic abuse while in the U.S. and presented a police report detailing that her husband threatened to kill her. According to Bilbao, Escobar was told that a safe-conduct permit can take 15 days to obtain, a passport up to four months, and that it's a process immigrants must complete in person. Escobar is presently waiting to receive what she needs to return home. For some Nicaraguans, applying for a passport or renewal is no guarantee of obtaining one: independent media and human rights organizations have reported dozens of cases in which the process has been denied or indefinitely delayed within Nicaragua or at consulates abroad, especially for opponents of the current government and sometimes their families. For immigrants from countries like Venezuela — which doesn't have consulates in the U.S. after a severing of diplomatic relations — the situation is even more complex. 'People are distrustful' Christina Wilkes, an immigration attorney in Maryland and Washington, D.C., told Noticias Telemundo she had a client who wanted to self-deport but was 'terrified' of using the CBP Home app and of being deported before he could leave voluntarily, so he sold his business and bought his plane ticket to Mexico. Another client had a passport, but his wife and children, who are Venezuelan and have been in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status, don't have passports. 'And that's the problem: you can't get Venezuelan passports in the United States,' Wilkes said, adding that her client will try to naturalize the children in the Dominican Republic, where he is originally from, and obtain documents from that country for them. The self-deportation process through CBP Home is very new and unclear, Wilkes said. 'I think that because people are distrustful; most of the people who are leaving are leaving quietly, and without using the app.' Unlike them, Juhany Pina used the app when she decided to self-deport. After a month of waiting for instructions, authorities assigned her a travel date, but she said they never called her again. Instead, the Venezuela native used her Mexican passport — she had lived there before coming to the U.S. — and managed to board a plane to Mexico in early July. Pina said she's part of a WhatsApp group with more than 100 members where immigrants like her share the setbacks they've experienced during the self-deportation process. 'We thought it would be a much faster process,' Pina said.
