In a recent announcement during Mass in a Catholic church in Southern San Diego County, a deacon declared his decision to voluntarily leave the United States due to the revocation of his legal status.
San Diego’s ABC10 TV station reported on Monday, September 15th that the deacon made the announcement to the congregation last Sunday, citing identity issues as the reason for his departure to Tijuana, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to a parishioner’s account mentioned in the ABC10 report, the deacon disclosed that he had arrived in the U.S. at the age of 13 and had been serving in the same diocese for approximately forty years.
Confirmation of this matter was obtained from the Catholic Diocese of San Diego by Epoch Times. However, the diocese stated that it was entirely the personal decision of the deacon, who did not seek assistance or endorsement from the diocese, therefore limiting the disclosure of further information.
Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security via email to inquire about the reasons for the deacon’s revoked legal status.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced the “CBP Home” app on March 10th this year, which allows individuals to choose between “self-deportation” or “voluntary departure/intent to depart.” On May 5th, a self-deportation assistance program was launched, providing free flights and a $1000 grant for registered self-deporting undocumented immigrants.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security mentioned that “self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S. that enables undocumented immigrants to avoid arrest by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).” They further stated that those choosing self-deportation may have the opportunity to reapply for entry to the U.S. in the future.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the “self-deportation” strategy can also help the government reduce costs by 70%. Presently, the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting an undocumented immigrant amounts to $17,121.
There have been few media reports on cases of “self-deportation,” and official data has not been publicly disclosed.
In a press release dated August 14th, the Department of Homeland Security indicated that the Trump administration had arrested over 350,000 illegal immigrants in 2025, with 70% of them facing criminal charges or convictions. More than 320,000 individuals have been deported, but the number of “self-deportations” has not been revealed by authorities.
