Aiming to succeed with its deportation strategy, the Trump administration announced Monday a new incentive, $1,000 cash and travel support for undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the U.S.
According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press release, the initiative offers financial assistance for those who use an app called CBP Home to alert authorities of their intent to return to their country of origin. Those who opt in will be “deprioritized” for detention and deportation.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.”
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Officials noted that the department has already funded at least one return flight, a ticket for a migrant heading back to Honduras from Chicago and additional departures are reportedly scheduled in the coming days.
Immigration policy has remained central to Trump’s political platform, and the push for mass deportations has taken shape quickly in his current term. Still, the scope and expense of physically removing millions of people has led to alternative strategies.
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While requesting a substantial budget boost for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the administration is simultaneously encouraging undocumented individuals to remove themselves from the country voluntarily.
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The campaign includes TV spots warning undocumented immigrants of impending enforcement actions, as well as social media posts showing arrests and the transfer of detainees to a detention facility in El Salvador.
President Donald Trump himself endorsed the voluntary exit approach on Monday, casting it as a possible path to eventual legal reentry. “Self-deport” now, he said, and “if they’re good people” who “love our country,” they might be able to return legally one day.
“And if they aren’t, they won’t,” he added.
Critics, however, say the offer isn’t as simple as it sounds. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council warned that migrants in active deportation proceedings could face serious consequences if they leave without resolution.
He explained that departing the country often means abandoning pending applications, including those for asylum. “People’s immigration status is not as simple as this makes it out to be,” Reichlin-Melnick said.
He also questioned whether DHS has the legal authority or budget to finance the offer, suggesting it’s a sign the administration cannot meet its promised deportation targets.
“They’re not getting their numbers,” he said.
The CBP Home app, originally launched under President Biden as CBP One to allow migrants to schedule entry appointments has been retooled under Trump to facilitate voluntary departures.
DHS claims “thousands” have used the platform to begin the return process.
Despite doubts about the program’s effectiveness, some immigration restriction advocates support the approach. Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies argued that paying people to leave is simply practical.
“How do you make sure that they’ve actually gone home? Do you make them sign an agreement where they agree not to challenge their removal if they were to come back?” he asked. “The execution matters, but the concept is sound.”
Versions of this “pay-to-go” approach have been implemented globally. A 2011 study from the Migration Policy Institute and the European University Institute found 128 such programs worldwide, AP reported.
While most have had minimal impact, one exception cited was a 1990s initiative that helped return Bosnians from Germany.
Though cost-effective compared to traditional deportations, DHS estimates each forced removal costs about $17,121 — the long-term effectiveness of voluntary return programs remains uncertain. It’s unclear how many recipients remain in their home countries or attempt to re-enter after taking the money.
Nonetheless, for governments wary of drawn-out deportation battles and diplomatic hurdles, the model remains an appealing workaround.
