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-Editorial
The Department of Homeland Security announced an expanded voluntary departure initiative during the holiday season, offering financial incentives to undocumented immigrants who agree to leave the United States by the end of the year. The program allows individuals who register through the CBP Home mobile application to receive a $3,000 stipend and government-paid airfare to their country of origin.
According to DHS, participants who complete the voluntary departure process through the app may also qualify for forgiveness of certain civil fines or penalties related to failing to depart the country after a final immigration order. The agency said the program is intended to reduce the costs associated with detention and formal deportation proceedings while encouraging compliance with immigration law.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the incentive is a temporary increase tied to the holiday period.
“Since January 2025, 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program. During the Christmas Season, the U.S. taxpayer is so generously TRIPLING the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally- offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
DHS officials say the CBP Home application allows users to submit identifying information and travel plans, after which the department coordinates and pays for transportation. The agency has promoted the process as faster and less disruptive than traditional enforcement actions, emphasizing that participants avoid detention and formal removal orders that can carry long-term immigration consequences.
The Trump administration has pointed to voluntary departures as a central component of its broader immigration strategy, which emphasizes enforcement, interior removals, and the reduction of humanitarian protections. Officials argue that encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave on their own reduces strain on immigration courts and detention facilities while saving taxpayer funds.
Administration officials have cited the figures as evidence that stricter enforcement policies, combined with voluntary departure incentives, are prompting large numbers of immigrants to leave without the need for formal deportation proceedings.
Independent reporting and immigration analysts, however, have cautioned that the figures lack transparency and do not clearly distinguish between departures directly linked to administration policies and those resulting from other factors, such as economic conditions or personal circumstances. DHS has not released detailed data breaking down how many departures occurred specifically through the CBP Home program.
Published reports indicate that participation through the CBP Home app remains relatively limited compared with the broader departure totals cited by the administration. As of early 2025, only a few thousand individuals had formally registered to depart through the application, according to those reports, raising questions about how the government defines and tracks self-deportation.
Immigration advocates have also expressed concern that financial incentives and enforcement warnings may pressure individuals, including those with pending legal claims, to leave without fully understanding their options. DHS has said participation in the program is voluntary and applies only to individuals without legal authorization to remain in the country.
