Bunchy Carter
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'I’d rather die in my country': Why immigrants are choosing voluntarily departure over detention or asylum in US
A growing number of immigrants in US are abandoning their legal cases and choosing to leave the country, many while held in detention centres. This comes as voluntary departures are on a surge under Trump administration.
Court data obtained by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that immigration judges issued more than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders between January 2025 and March this year. The figures were shared with The Washington Post. The current data marks a sharp rise compared with the previous administration, when around 11,400 people chose the option over a similar period.
Voluntary departure allows immigrants to leave the US without a formal deportation order. This can sometimes make it easier to return legally in the future. But it also means giving up any ongoing claim to stay in the country, including asylum applications.
More than 70 per cent of those granted voluntary departure under the Trump administration were in immigration detention at the time they made the request, according to the data. That is higher proportion than under former President Joe Biden, when most people left from outside custody.
Trump administration has promoted voluntary departure as part of its immigration crackdown, with MAGA officials advertising the option in detention centres and online.
Voluntary departure is a long-standing legal option for people unlikely to win their cases in immigration court. Applicants must usually show good moral character, have no serious criminal record, and agree to leave within a given deadline at their own expense
Read more at Via: 'I’d rather die in my country': Why immigrants are choosing voluntarily departure over detention or asylum in US - The Times of India
A growing number of immigrants in US are abandoning their legal cases and choosing to leave the country, many while held in detention centres. This comes as voluntary departures are on a surge under Trump administration.
Court data obtained by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that immigration judges issued more than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders between January 2025 and March this year. The figures were shared with The Washington Post. The current data marks a sharp rise compared with the previous administration, when around 11,400 people chose the option over a similar period.
Voluntary departure allows immigrants to leave the US without a formal deportation order. This can sometimes make it easier to return legally in the future. But it also means giving up any ongoing claim to stay in the country, including asylum applications.
More than 70 per cent of those granted voluntary departure under the Trump administration were in immigration detention at the time they made the request, according to the data. That is higher proportion than under former President Joe Biden, when most people left from outside custody.
Trump administration has promoted voluntary departure as part of its immigration crackdown, with MAGA officials advertising the option in detention centres and online.
Voluntary departure is a long-standing legal option for people unlikely to win their cases in immigration court. Applicants must usually show good moral character, have no serious criminal record, and agree to leave within a given deadline at their own expense
Read more at Via: 'I’d rather die in my country': Why immigrants are choosing voluntarily departure over detention or asylum in US - The Times of India
