Legal Limbo: Venezuelan migrant legally in the US fears deportation, failing to achieve his dream

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Joel Vargas is from Venezuela. He left his country back in 2022 and arrived in Ciudad Juárez spring 2023. He's currently navigating the federal asylum process while working in construction in Colorado Springs.

After securing an entry appointment through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One app in Juárez, he entered the U.S. legally and has been attending required immigration court hearings.

Joel left Venezuela due to severe economic hardship, traveling through Central America and Mexico before reaching the U.S. border. He waited six months in Juárez to secure his appointment through the app, choosing not to cross unlawfully due to concerns over detention facilities.

He sends most of his earnings to support his wife and daughter, who stayed in Venezuela.

After crossing legally into El Paso, Texas, Joel stayed in the city for two weeks before moving to Colorado Springs. In Venezuela, he worked as a civil engineer and university professor, but he now works in construction in Colorado, as mentioned.

The CBP One app was rebranded as the CBP Home app under the Trump administration, shifting its function from scheduling asylum appointments to assisting with voluntary self-deportation.

Joel told ABC-7 he received a notification on his phone offering $2,600 and a free plane ticket to self-deport and. He said the message warned migrants who did not voluntarily deport could face fines of nearly $1,000 per day.

Although he had entered the U.S. legally, Joel decided not to self-deport so he could continue working toward buying a home for his family. During an immigration court hearing last summer, an immigration judge granted Joel another opportunity to submit an asylum application.

The judge required him to provide all documentation translated into English, show proof of progress toward an online bachelor's degree and demonstrate plans to pursue a master's degree in the United States.

Despite following legal procedures, Joel feels an ongoing fear of deportation after seeing ICE officers arresting other individuals following court appearances in Colorado. Joel also expressed some concerns about returning to Venezuela, stating that former or current political tensions and Venezuelan government policies could lead to the imprisonment of returnees from the United States.

The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January, creating political uncertainty in the country, but Joel has expressed hope for future progress in Venezuela and stated that he plans to consider returning home with his family later this year.

ABC-7 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP for comment and to learn more about how many migrants have used the CBP Home App for self-deportation.

A spokesperson with DHS recently sent us the following statement:

“Since January 2025, more than 2.2 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and illegal aliens continue to leave in record numbers. DHS has been consistently clear that those who have used the CBP Home app and utilized Project Homecoming are but a fraction of those who have voluntarily left the country because illegal aliens know President Trump is enforcing our immigration laws.

The current cost of a single enforced deportation is $18,245. Even with the new offer of a $2,600 stipend, the estimated cost of a single self-deportation via the CBP Home App is just $5,100, saving the American taxpayer over $13,000 per illegal alien.

Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

Back in June, another DHS spokesperson also sent to us the following statement:

"Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. More than 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country. We will continue to deliver on the President’s promise to make America safe again.

ICE enforces U.S. immigration law in every state, throughout this great nation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In President Trump’s first year back in office, more than 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations. As of May 17, we have now deported nearly 900,000 illegal aliens and arrested over 900,000 illegal aliens.”

You can watch the full special report, "Legal Limbo," Thursday on ABC-7 at 6.