New Program Offers Payments to Undocumented Immigrants for Voluntary Departure
The Trump administration has revealed a new plan aimed at providing $1,000 payments to undocumented Americans as an incentive for them to return to their home countries voluntarily.
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detailed the initiative, promising “financial and travel support” for undocumented individuals who agree to leave the U.S. through an app called CBP Home.
This app is a modified version of CBPONE, originally created by the Biden administration, which allowed limited legal entry for those seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Upon Trump’s inauguration, the original app was shut down and subsequently reworked into CBP Home, now focused on facilitating departure rather than entry.
According to the agency, the $1,000 payment will be issued only after an individual has returned to their home country and confirmed through the app. DHS noted in a news release that the terminology used, which includes terms like “illegal aliens” and “self-denial,” raises some legal questions and aligns with the administration’s strict immigration policies.
“If you’re here illegally, this is the best, safest, and most cost-effective method of leaving the U.S. to avoid arrest,” stated Kristi Noem, DHS secretary.
The DHS indicated that one person has already enrolled in the program, receiving flight tickets for a route from Chicago to Honduras, while other flights have been booked in the following weeks.
The agency estimates that despite the expenses involved, the program could cut deportation costs by approximately 70%.
Currently, DHS claims that it costs an average of $17,121 to arrest, detain, or deport someone from the U.S.
Individuals using the CBP Home app to express their intent to leave the U.S. will be “removed for detention and removal prior to departure, provided they show meaningful progress in leaving,” the agency clarified.
DHS also suggested that taking part in this program might “help individuals maintain their options” for lawful re-entry in the future.
However, critics have expressed concerns. Aaron Reichlin Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Council of Immigration, described it as a “cruel deception,” arguing that the claims about legal returning options could mislead individuals into believing they have better legal standing, deeming the initiative a “trap.”
This new program, reflecting the Trump administration’s approach to “self-deportation,” aims to make life more difficult for undocumented immigrants, pushing them toward the exit as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.
