Colombian Migrant Self-Deports and Reveals Whether CBP Home Really Pays the $1,000 Promised by Trump
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:41
- CBP Home does pay
- Migrant confirms incentive
- Payment withdrawn in cash
Katherine, a Colombian migrant, documented on social media her voluntary return from the United States to Colombia through the CBP Home program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In a series of videos posted on TikTok, she explained the process step by step and confirmed that she did receive the $1,000 payment the program promises to those who choose self-deportation, fueling interest around the CBP Home self-deportation payment.
CBP Home and the Voluntary Return of a Hispanic Migrant
@katherine2726rs Thank you for everything, USA 🇺🇸🙏 God gave me the opportunity to live this beautiful experience, and now it’s time to return home 🙏🇨🇴 #usa #colombia #regreso ♬ sonido original – Alejandro 👨✈️✈️🇨🇴.
The young woman explained that the money was delivered without additional paperwork and that she was able to withdraw it in cash through Western Union.
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Her testimony sparked interest among other migrants who had doubted the legitimacy of the financial incentive offered by the app.
Confirmation of the CBP Home Payment and Cash Withdrawal
@katherine2726rs Yes, I did receive the $1,000 from the CBP HOME app 🇺🇸🤭🙌🏻. While I was traveling to Colombia, I had already received the email with the code saying the $1,000 had been deposited. 🇨🇴 #cbp #usa #colombia ♬ sonido original – Katha❤️🩹
In one of the most commented videos, Katherine said the payment code arrived while she was still en route to Colombia.
According to her account, the day after she arrived, she went to a Western Union branch to withdraw the money.
She explained that she took a number and had to wait several hours before being assisted, due to the large number of people in a similar situation.
When she was finally called, she provided her personal information and the previously received code.
The migrant stated that no additional procedures or extra documentation were required.
“I gave my information, the code, and that was it,” she said in the video.
In the post, she showed the payment receipt and confirmed the amount received.
The total payout was 3,731,000 Colombian pesos, equivalent to the $1,000 announced by CBP Home upon completion of the process—confirming the CBP Home self-deportation payment.
How the CBP Home Process Began
@katherine2726rs Here are the steps to use the CBP Home app so you can return to your country 🇺🇸🙏🇨🇴 #usa #cbp #casa ♬ sonido original – Katha❤️🩹
In one of the first videos in the series, Katherine explained how she started the process to return to Colombia.
She said the decision was made jointly with her partner.
According to her account, the first step was downloading the CBP Home app and completing all her personal information.
The required details included her email address and identification information.
She later received an email requesting additional information.
That exchange included submitting further documentation, a photo of her national ID, and the estimated date on which she planned to travel.
The Passport Issue and Closing the Process
@katherine2726rs Passport recovered from ICE 🇺🇸🙌🏻🙌🏻 see it for yourselves 🙏 Thank God, soon to 🇨🇴❤️. #ice #usa #pasaporte #colombia ♬ sonido original – Katha❤️🩹
The process stalled when CBP Home asked about her passport.
Katherine explained that the document had been retained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a previous immigration appointment.
From that point on, she made several calls in an effort to recover it.
Eventually, an ICE officer from another city intervened and located the passport, which had been held in San Francisco, California.
Days later, the document was transferred to Portland, the city where the migrant was living.
Once she retrieved it from the agency’s office, the CBP Home process was officially closed.
From there, she only had to wait for the date assigned by the app to board her return flight to Colombia—bringing her experience with the CBP Home self-deportation payment program to a documented conclusion.