The Trump administration on Monday introduced a new voluntary deportation initiative offering undocumented migrants a $1,000 incentive and free air travel if they choose to return to their home countries.
Speaking at the White House, President Donald Trump said the program is designed to encourage self-deportation and could open the door for legal reentry in the future for some migrants.
“We’re going to pay each one a certain amount of money and provide a beautiful flight back to their country,” Trump said. “If they’re good people and the kind of people we want here, they might have a path back into the U.S.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the initiative as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to forced removals.
“Self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States and avoid arrest,” Noem said.
The program operates through the CBP Home app, which allows migrants to schedule their departure and receive support. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the $1,000 stipend will be issued once the individual’s return is verified via the app.
DHS estimates that this initiative could reduce deportation costs by up to 70%. Currently, removing an undocumented migrant costs the government an average of $17,121.
The department confirmed that one migrant from Honduras has already used the app to return home.
President Trump, who has long advocated for strict immigration enforcement, claimed that the U.S. currently hosts as many as 21 million undocumented migrants—though Pew Research estimated that number to be around 11 million as of 2022.
DHS emphasized that the self-deportation route allows migrants to leave with dignity and avoid contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
