As part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration campaign, the administration is promoting self-deportation, the euphemism for the voluntary — in reality, pressure‑driven — return of migrants to their countries of origin amid the climate of persecution unleashed in the United States. Self-deporting, however, is no easy task, no matter how willing the individuals may be. Many migrants choose to leave in order to put an end to the threat of being detained, separated from their families, and confined in one of the infamous detention centers run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). After making such a difficult decision — one that alters the course of their lives — they face the dilemma of how to do it without falling into the hands of federal agents in the process.
The self‑deportation dilemma: Persecuted in the United States but unsure how to leave
