Index/Topics/Voluntary departure

Voluntary departure

The option for individuals to leave the United States at their own expense, avoiding the formal negative consequences of deportation.

Fact-Checks

5 results
Jan 22, 2026
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How do ICE, CBP, and DHS each define and count deportations and voluntary departures in their public reports?

prove to be a stitched-together mosaic: ’s Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) aggregates and “cleans and validates” reported by , ’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) and the U.S. Border Pat...

Jan 25, 2026
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Once a deportation order has been issued what legal process must be followed by the government

Once an immigration judge or applicable officer issues a removal (deportation) order, the government moves from adjudication to enforcement: is authorized to carry out the order, notify the person to ...

Jan 15, 2026
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How does DHS define and distinguish removals, returns, repatriations, and voluntary departures in its monthly tables?

DHS treats "repatriations" as an umbrella statistic that mixes several distinct administrative actions—formal removals, returns (administrative/voluntary departures and withdrawals), and Title 42 expu...

Jan 13, 2026

How does DHS define and report 'removals' versus 'returns' and 'voluntary departures'?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) treats "removals" as formal, ordered expulsions while "returns" bundle several non‑order departures — including voluntary departures, voluntary returns, and w...

Jan 13, 2026

How do DHS and independent researchers define and count 'self‑deportations' versus formal deportations?

DHS treats “self‑deportation” as voluntary departure facilitated and recorded through programs like CBP Home/Project Homecoming and counts participants who enroll and confirm departure in its systems ...