A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States has voluntarily departed the country from Pittsburgh, Penn., along with his U.S. citizen wife and three children, according to a segment aired Tuesday on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.
🚨NEW: CNN airs segment of family that self-deported to Mexico under Trump🚨@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/v5NZwncgqw
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) July 16, 2025
Julio Mendoza, who entered the U.S. unlawfully at the age of 11, left the country through a self-deportation program reinstated by the Trump administration. The program, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), allows eligible illegal immigrants to voluntarily return to their country of origin using the CBP Home mobile app. According to the Department of Homeland Security, participants receive a free flight, a $1,000 stipend, and forgiveness of fines associated with prior deportation orders.
Mendoza departed with his wife, Sasha, a U.S. citizen, and their three children, all born in the U.S. The family cited concerns about stricter immigration enforcement policies under President Trump’s second administration.
CNN immigration correspondent Priscilla Alvarez reported that the family decided shortly after Trump returned to office. “So you are saying bye to the U.S. for good?” Alvarez asked during the interview. “Yes,” Mendoza responded. “Rolling the dice would be staying here. That would be rolling the dice … I’m taking a certain win on this one.”
During the segment, the family expressed concern over increased immigration enforcement, referencing a recent incident involving the deportation of an alleged MS-13 gang member. Mendoza’s wife said the case highlighted the risks of remaining in the U.S. unlawfully.
Asked why he had not pursued legal status, Mendoza said the naturalization process can take 15 to 20 years and claimed that timeline was not realistic for families in urgent circumstances.
Roughly 1 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since January, according to preliminary data from the Center for Immigration Studies. The think tank attributes the decline to the Trump administration’s renewed focus on enforcement, deterrence policies, and public messaging.
On July 2, DHS announced a record low of 25,243 nationwide border encounters for the month of June—the lowest monthly total ever recorded.
The Mendoza family’s departure illustrates how some undocumented individuals are opting to leave the country through formal channels rather than risk arrest and removal through ICE operations.
