An El Salvadorian national has voluntarily left the United States after her emergency stay request was denied by immigration authorities.

Yessenia Ruano came to the United States in 2011 claiming to be a victim of human trafficking and “an asylum seeker.”  She worked as a teacher’s aide in Milwaukee Public Schools while awaiting approval of a T-visa, a special visa for survivors of trafficking, according to WISN 12.

Her lawyer told local media she chose to self-deport rather than “potentially being detained by ICE.”

T-visas are typically temporary and for victims of a “severe form of trafficking in persons”, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The Trump administration has encouraged individuals in the U.S. illegally—or those like Ruano with pending immigration cases—to voluntarily self-deport. The CBP One app, originally designed to schedule cargo inspections, was later repurposed by the Biden administration to allow migrants to apply for asylum. Under Trump’s policy, the app is now used to let undocumented individuals notify USCIS of their intent to self-deport.

Those who choose self-deportation may receive financial and travel assistance—and in some cases, have a pathway to return legally. In April, President Trump told Spanish-language Fox media, “We’re going to give them a stipend. We’re going to give them some money and a plane ticket, and then we’re going to work with them — if they’re good — if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can.”

To further promote the option, DHS launched an advertising campaign urging individuals in the U.S. without legal status to leave voluntarily as soon as possible using the self-deportation process. (RELATED: Déjà Vu: Two Judges, Two Indictments—16 Years Apart)

Here in Wisconsin, a large population of Haitian immigrants, who came to the United States under a Parole Program allowing individuals leaving their home countries “due to urgent humanitarian concerns”, are losing their legal status after President Trump canceled the program. 

The Biden-era program has been reduced to foreign nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. With the cancellation upheld by the Supreme Court, notifications offering self-deportation as an option have been sent to those previously in the program.

Data shows the self-deportation option has proved relatively popular. As many as one million illegal immigrants have chosen to leave the country voluntarily. The same report claims these self-deportations have resulted in hourly wages rising beyond inflation. (RELATED: Sen. Padilla, Dressed as Civilian, Detained After Disrupting Press Conference)

While a number of local jurisdictions across the country have implemented policies preventing cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Wisconsin State Representative  Jim Piwowarczyk has co-authored legislation that would require local police to assist federal immigration enforcement. 

Piwowarczyk, a former police officer, told Capitol Chats while more sheriffs have signed up for a federal program allowing ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement, two of Wisconsin’s largest counties—Milwaukee and Dane— “simply refuse to cooperate with ICE” and that it’s important to remove illegal immigrants who are also committing violent crimes.

While forced deportations are on the rise, the U.S. expects a majority of deportations will be as a result of self-deportations.