This week, a Cuban reported his self-deportation experience with CBP Home: he never received the $1.000 promised by DHS. A Cuban migrant recounted his experience of self-deportation from the United States Through the application CBP HomeHe stressed that he never received the $1.000 that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) promises to those who decide to leave the country voluntarily.
The man, originally from Holguín, had entered the United States in August 2024 under a humanitarian parole permit.
However, after losing his work permit in June 2025, chose to register on the CBP Home platform, seeking an organized exit.
As he explained to the journalist Mario J. PentonThe process was fraught with uncertainty. There were also communication failures on the part of the U.S. authorities.
The Cuban said that, although he warned the DHS about the difficulties of receiving a payment in Cuba due to the lack of banking agreements between the two countries, they assured him that he should not worry.cuparse.
A month after registering, she began receiving calls and emails confirming her flight date and asking her to send a copy of her passport.
No payment of a thousand dollars despite self-deportation: a Cuban's experience
The day before his departure, he received multiple calls reminding him of the trip. They also requested that he report his location during the journey via WhatsApp and email. Despite his request to be sent to eastern Cuba, his flight ended in Havana.
Upon arriving at the capital's airport, he was interrogated by Cuban authorities, who separated him from the rest of the passengers. This was to inquire about his immigration and employment status. He was eventually allowed into the country, but never received the promised money.
The migrant claims to feel cheated and warns others Cuban migrants about the risks of enrolling in CBP Home, recommending that you carefully evaluate this decision before proceeding.
According to official DHS data, between January and July 2025 More than 1.6 million migrants They left the United States, many of them using self-deportation, although not all appear to have received the announced financial incentive.