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Some Las Vegas families aren’t waiting for a knock on the door. They’re leaving before it comes.
Raul Contreras runs a local shipping business. Refrigerators. Motorcycles. Furniture.
These days, he’s sending a lot more of it south. Families, he says, are packing up their lives and heading home to Mexico.
The App That Sends You Home – by Choice
Under President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown, the Department of Homeland Security has rolled out a program encouraging undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.”
It’s meant to reduce the cost and chaos of forced removals – a process that can run taxpayers about $17,000 per person, according to federal estimates.
Instead of spending months detaining people, the government now offers an app called CBP Home, where users can arrange a flight home voluntarily.
There’s even an incentive. The program advertises a free plane ticket, a $1,000 stipend after verified departure, and what DHS describes as a possibility of returning legally – though immigration lawyers say that pathway remains undefined.
In Las Vegas alone, the ad has been viewed 8.4 million times, according to The Nevada Independent, citing AdImpact data.
Accountability Is Not Cruelty
America’s immigration laws mean something – or at least, they should.
The federal government has a duty to enforce the law while protecting taxpayers. If someone’s here illegally and chooses to leave rather than face arrest, that’s a personal decision – not government cruelty.
There’s a clear line: if you break the rules, there are consequences.
And if voluntary departure helps avoid expensive detentions and years of legal wrangling, all the better.
Nevada’s Unique Pressure Point
Nevada ranks among the top states for undocumented residents per capita.
That puts local businesses, schools, and law enforcement right in the middle of the national debate.
Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican and former Clark County sheriff, has already taken steps to ensure Nevada doesn’t act as a sanctuary state.
In 2023, he directed the state’s Office for New Americans to cut ties with certain groups providing legal services to undocumented residents – a move applauded by those who believe taxpayer funds shouldn’t support defiance of federal law.
At the same time, Nevada law imposes no statewide limits on police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. For those living here illegally, the message is simple: enforcement is real again.
Not Everyone Likes It
Advocates warn the government is scaring families into leaving. They call it “self-deportation by intimidation.”
But the reality is simpler: deterrence works. It always has.
When people see laws being enforced, illegal crossings drop. When rules are ignored, chaos grows.
The self-deportation option isn’t punishment. It’s a choice.
It lets people leave on their own terms instead of being detained, processed, and deported at taxpayer expense.
Critics can call that harsh, but it’s also fair. It treats immigration as a matter of personal responsibility, not endless government forgiveness.
Hard Truths, Simple Choices
Choices have consequences. America can’t sustain a system where breaking the law carries no penalty.
Nevada taxpayers can’t shoulder the endless cost of detention, housing, and services for those here unlawfully.
If people decide to leave rather than face arrest, that’s their right. And if enforcement is strong enough to make that decision clear, maybe the system is finally working as intended.
When staying becomes riskier than leaving, it means the message is getting through.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
