An increasing number of Venezuelan migrants heading to the United States are choosing to return home, driven by fears of stricter border policies under President-elect Donald Trump.
Reports from Mexico indicate that 50 to 100 Venezuelans each week are requesting voluntary return, highlighting their growing uncertainty and despair.
The shift follows Trump’s election victory, which has spurred concerns about his administration’s plans to reinstate stringent immigration policies.
Measures under consideration include revoking the CBP One app—a tool introduced during the Biden administration that allows migrants to schedule asylum appointments—and reinstating the controversial “Remain in Mexico” program, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed.
Many migrants, such as Nidia Montenegro, a 52-year-old Venezuelan, are opting to return home after facing harrowing experiences in Mexico. “I am traumatized. If I don’t get the appointment, I will go back,” Montenegro told Reuters.
Yuleidi Moreno expressed similar sentiments, saying, “I cry every day and ask God to take me back.” I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Life for migrants stranded in Mexico has proven perilous. Cartels exploit their vulnerability, subjecting many to kidnapping, extortion, and sexual violence. The dangers of waiting, combined with uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policies, have led some to abandon their journey entirely.
The CBP One app, which the Biden administration significantly expanded in early 2023, has played a central role in managing migration flows.
More than 800,000 foreign nationals have used the app to schedule asylum appointments. However, with Trump promising to dismantle the app and crack down on unauthorized entries, many migrants fear their chances of legally entering the U.S. are slipping away.
Todd Bensman, a national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, observed a defeatist sentiment among migrants at a camp in Mexico City.
“Most everyone” he interviewed expressed plans to return home if the app is discontinued.
Meanwhile, some migrants remain determined, hoping to secure an appointment before Trump takes office. Johana, a young Venezuelan, told Reuters, “I trust I will arrive before Mr. Trump takes office. If it’s not by appointment, there’s always a way.”
Tough immigration policies designed to discourage illegal crossings and reduce migrant flows marked Trump’s first administration.
His incoming administration has pledged to resume construction of the border wall, enact the largest deportation initiative in U.S. history, and reimplement policies requiring asylum seekers to remain outside the U.S. during case processing.
Additionally, Trump has vowed to escalate action against drug cartels, whom his team describes as a primary threat to both migrants and U.S. security.
Incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan stressed the importance of targeting cartel operations, stating they have caused more American deaths than global terrorist organizations.
“Trump is committed to calling them terrorist organizations and using the full might of the United States Special Operations to take them out,” Homan said on Fox News.
While some migrants cling to the hope of reaching the U.S. before Trump’s policy changes take effect, the overall trend points to growing apprehension and a reversal of migration patterns.
For many Venezuelans and other migrants stranded in dangerous conditions, returning home now seems safer than enduring the uncertainties and risks of remaining in Mexico.