The Trump administration has unveiled a new self-deportation initiative, offering free one-way airline tickets and a $1,000 stipend to unauthorised immigrants who voluntarily agree to leave the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that it is facilitating departures for eligible migrants, with some already having secured flights to return to their home countries. One participant has reportedly flown from Chicago to Honduras under the scheme, DHS confirmed.
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As part of the programme, migrants are being directed to use the CBP Home app — a platform previously employed by the Biden administration to manage legal entry into the U.S. — to notify authorities of their intention to depart. Once officials verify that the individual has left the country, the $1,000 incentive will be paid.
According to DHS officials, migrants who register for self-deportation via the app will be deprioritised for arrest and detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provided they demonstrate concrete steps toward leaving the country.
The offer marks a shift in immigration enforcement strategy, combining punitive threats with voluntary departure incentives. While the administration continues to warn unauthorised immigrants of possible prosecution, detention and fines, it is also promoting self-deportation as a cost-effective and “dignified” alternative to forced removal.
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Immigration authorities have argued the initiative will ease pressure on ICE resources, with the average cost of arresting, detaining and deporting an immigrant estimated at $17,121. By comparison, the one-time stipend and travel assistance are expected to significantly reduce expenditure.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for DHS, said that “thousands” of migrants have already taken advantage of self-deportation routes under the new campaign.
The Trump administration has also hinted that migrants who leave voluntarily may improve their chances of returning legally in the future. However, legal re-entry remains an arduous and often unattainable process for low-income individuals without U.S.-based sponsors. Under current law, migrants who overstay illegally for more than a year face a mandatory ten-year re-entry ban, regardless of their method of departure.
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The latest push is part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration, which has reversed Biden-era enforcement priorities by vastly expanding the pool of migrants eligible for deportation — a move critics say risks sweeping up non-criminal individuals with deep roots in U.S. communities.
