Two Spokane Immigrants Seek Asylum Self-Deport After Detention

Two immigrants living in Spokane who had sought asylum chose to self-deport after months in detention, according to local advocates and friends. Cesar Perez and his close friend, Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres, returned to the countries they fled rather than remain locked up in a for‑profit facility in Tacoma. Their arrests in June 2025 set off Spokane’s largest anti‑ICE protest on record, drew a citywide curfew, and led to more than 30 arrests. Former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart—who sponsored Perez and acted as his legal guardian—was among those arrested after he tried to block federal transport.

Stuckart described Perez as a man who had been working full time, paying his bills, and building a community before he was detained. He said the harsh environment inside the Tacoma detention center, including long waits and bleak conditions, shattered Perez’s hope for a fair shot at protection. Perez chose to self‑deport rather than wait months more behind bars, even though he feared the dangers that drove him to leave in the first place. Torres, who met Perez during their asylum journey from Colombia, was detained alongside him and made the same choice.

The case reveals the human cost of current enforcement practices as they play out in Spokane. What began as an asylum bid ended in a painful decision to leave the United States 🇺🇸 without a full hearing, largely because of detention time and conditions. Family friends and local volunteers said the outcome is already echoing through immigrant circles. Some asylum seekers in Spokane now fear that asking for protection could land them in prolonged detention, separated from the support they rely on, and faced with the same choice to self‑deport.

Community response and city impact

Spokane’s response has been forceful and divided. Community organizers rallied outside federal offices and the detention center, calling for release and fair processing. At the same time, federal prosecutors filed charges against some protesters, signaling that Washington state’s second‑largest city is on edge over the reach and methods of immigration enforcement.

• Businesses in downtown Spokane shuttered early during the curfew night.
• Faith groups opened basements for vigils.
• Immigrant support networks reported a surge of calls from people asking whether it was safer to keep a low profile or move away.

Detention: the turning point

Advocates say detention is the turning point. People who ask for asylum—a protection process for those with a well‑founded fear of harm—can be detained while their cases proceed. In Perez and Torres’s situation, supporters say both men waited months with limited access to family visits and faced conditions that felt punitive rather than administrative.

The men told friends that every extension, every delay, and every check‑in without clarity worsened the pressure to sign departure papers. Stuckart described detention as “the thing that broke him.” He says that Perez’s lawful job, neighborhood ties, and community sponsorship should have weighed in favor of release while his asylum claim moved forward. Instead, detention undercut the very support that helps people stay on track with their immigration cases.

Key facts from the case:
– Both men had active asylum claims but chose to leave rather than face more months inside.
– Their arrests in Spokane sparked a citywide curfew and over 30 arrests during protests.
– Stuckart, a former council president, was arrested while attempting to stop ICE from transporting the men.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, immigration courts continue to move a high volume of cases, with 48,711 removal orders issued in July 2025. Lawyers say the pace, combined with detention, can push people to accept self‑deportation even when they fear return. Those who withdraw their claims and depart often lose the chance to fully present evidence—such as police reports, medical records, or witness letters—that take time to gather.

Policy backdrop and the CBP Home App

Spokane’s case is unfolding under a broader shift in national enforcement. In August 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said 1.6 million illegal immigrants have left the country in less than 200 days, crediting aggressive enforcement, targeted deportations, and a new voluntary self‑departure tool known as the CBP Home App.

As described by the department, the app encourages people without status to self‑deport by offering:
– $1,000
– A free flight home
– Forgiveness of certain fines for failure to depart

The administration says tougher measures and faster exits will ease pressure on schools, hospitals, and shelters, and help job seekers already here.

The CBP Home App replaced the earlier CBP One App, which had been used to book inspection appointments at ports of entry. Secretary Noem ended the prior entry pathway and promoted the new program as a cheaper and faster way to cut the unauthorized population. While the government frames CBP Home as voluntary and cost‑saving, immigrant advocates in Spokane argue the choice is often shaped by detention. They point to cases like Perez and Torres, where harsh conditions and limited release options tipped the scale.

Officials defend the broader enforcement posture as necessary to restore order. They also point to the legal framework that allows detention while asylum cases proceed. Enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), say they must carry out arrests when there are court orders or when people lack legal status. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations unit explains its mission and activities on its official site, which readers can review for process details and contact points: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Politics, local effects, and daily life

The politics are complex. During the President Trump years, the federal government sharply raised removals and used expanded detention. Under President Biden, the policy mix shifted several times—balancing border controls, court backlogs, and humanitarian programs—before giving way to the current hard‑edged enforcement drive and voluntary departure incentives.

Spokane’s experience shows how these swings land in real communities:
– Jobs lost overnight
– Children separated from friends
– Panicked calls to lawyers
– Some people taking a plane ride back to danger

For Spokane’s immigrant community, uncertainty now guides daily life. Employers worry that workers will disappear after a routine traffic stop or a workplace visit. Landlords ask local nonprofits how to manage leases when tenants are detained. Churches and clinics report people skipping appointments for fear of being seen. School counselors describe children asking why their parents are suddenly afraid to pick them up.

These ripple effects make it harder for any asylum seeker to stay stable enough to prepare for a hearing.

What happens next — influencing factors

What follows will depend on several moving parts:

1. Detention policies and bed counts at facilities like the one in Tacoma — these shape whether people can fight their cases while free.
2. The reach of the CBP Home App — especially the promise of $1,000 plus airfare — may boost self‑deport rates among those with weak claims or deep fatigue.
3. Local action in Spokane — from city leaders to legal aid clinics — can ease fear by providing clear information, court navigation help, and mental‑health support.

Legal practitioners in Spokane stressed practical points for people who still plan to seek asylum:
– Ask for a lawyer early. Free or low‑cost legal aid groups can explain steps, timelines, and release options.
– Keep documents safe. Identity papers, medical records, and police reports matter for asylum, and delays in gathering them can hurt a case.
– Understand detention alternatives. Sponsors and advocates may support release plans that reduce flight risk.
– Track hearing dates closely. Missing one can trigger a removal order.

Advocates also warn that self‑deport is not always the end of legal risk. People who accept voluntary departure under pressure may face bars on future entry or lose chances to pursue family petitions later. By contrast, those who win asylum gain protection and a path to permanent residence after one year. The gap between these outcomes is vast, and detention often decides which road people take.

Local institutions under strain

For Spokane’s civic leaders, the arrests and curfew were a stress test. City officials faced public anger over federal actions they don’t control, while local police tried to keep order during high‑tension marches.

• Business owners questioned the curfew decision but said they understood why emotions ran high.
• Public defenders now juggle protest‑related cases alongside a crowded misdemeanor docket.
• City services and nonprofits are stretched trying to respond to both urgent legal needs and community trauma.

As for Perez and Torres, friends say they left quickly after choosing to self‑deport. Supporters helped gather belongings and close bank accounts. A pastor held a brief prayer circle on the sidewalk before they boarded transport. No one could say when, or if, either man could try again. For now, their departure stands as a warning to others in Spokane who had hoped asylum would mean safety.

Competing narratives and likely future

Federal officials argue the approach is working: they highlight reported departures, claim less strain on public services, and say job prospects for citizens are improving. Community groups counter that forcing people to choose between long detention and leaving is a moral and public‑health problem, driving families into hiding and pushing trauma into classrooms and clinics.

Both sides agree on one point: more cases like this are likely. If enforcement continues at the current pace, Spokane should expect:
– More arrests
– More protests
– More families torn between hope and a one‑way ticket home

Important takeaway: Detention practices, speed of enforcement, and incentives like the CBP Home App are reshaping how asylum seekers decide whether to stay and fight or accept immediate departure. The human and civic consequences are already visible in Spokane.