Related videos:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday an increase in the financial incentive for migrants who choose to voluntarily leave the United States.
From now on, those who take part in the CBP Home program will receive a stipend of $2,600, in addition to a free flight to their country of origin, emphasized the DHS in a statement.
The measure, presented as a "gift" for the first anniversary of Donald Trump's new term, aims to reduce deportation costs and expedite voluntary departures.
According to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, more than 2.2 million people have self-deported since January 2025, and "tens of thousands" have used the CBP Home app.
"The American taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive for illegal foreigners to leave voluntarily. It’s an opportunity: if they do not leave, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return," Noem warned.
The DHS stated that this new program allows for public resource savings: a forced deportation costs $18,245, while a voluntary departure with stipend is only $5,100, representing a savings of over $13,000 per person.
In addition, those who use the application will be able to avoid fines or civil penalties.
So far, more than 100,000 migrants have used the digital system to register and coordinate their return.
The DHS described this option as “the best New Year’s resolution an illegal immigrant can make,” and urged those who remain in the country to take advantage of the offer “before it’s too late.”
The self-deportation program with stipend has faced criticism and skepticism, with numerous users on social media labeling it as completely false or propagandistic.
According to a report by EFE, although the DHS claims that more than 2.2 million migrants have voluntarily taken advantage of the measure since January 2025, the agency has not provided verifiable data to support that figure.
An analysis by the Brookings Institution estimates that the actual number of deportations would be between 310,000 and 350,000, significantly lower than the 778,000 repatriations recorded in the last full fiscal year of the Joe Biden administration and the promise of one million annually made by Donald Trump's team.
In May, President Donald Trump announced that he would offer $1,000 to each undocumented immigrant who wished to voluntarily return to their country of origin.
Similarly, last December, the government of the United States announced a new federal program that increases the financial incentive for undocumented immigrants who choose to voluntarily leave the country before the end of the year from $1,000 to $3,000, as a holiday stipend.
Filed under: