DHS triples self-deportation bonus to $3,000 for year-end departures
This Christmas season, the U.S. taxpayer is generously TRIPLING the incentive for illegal aliens to leave voluntarily. Through the end of the year, illegal aliens who self-deport using the CBP Home App can receive a $3,000 exit bonus.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 22, 2025
Illegal aliens should take advantage of this… pic.twitter.com/AKQZChPYfZ
WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an expansion of its voluntary departure program, increasing the financial incentive for undocumented migrants to leave the United States on their own.
The stipend, previously set at $1,000, has been raised to $3,000 for individuals who register with the federal government and depart the country by December 31.
DHS officials say the policy is designed to encourage self-deportation while lowering taxpayer costs associated with detention and forced removals.
The program requires participants to signal their intent to leave through a government-run mobile application and complete their departure within the designated timeframe.
DHS also stated that those who qualify will receive travel assistance and financial support after their exit is verified.
The voluntary departure process explained
Under the policy, undocumented migrants are instructed to use the CBP Home app, a rebranded version of the CBP One Platform created during the Biden administration, to register their intent to leave the country.
If deemed eligible, participants receive free airfare to their home countries and a stipend of $3,000 paid after the US government confirms their departure.
DHS also said that certain civil fines and penalties associated with unlawful presence may be waived for those who voluntarily comply.
Participants in the program are also reportedly deprioritized for arrest and detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as long as they show what the department describes as "meaningful strides" toward departure.
However, the DHS has not publicly clarified how compliance will be measured or how long arrest protections will remain in place.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement to CBS News that migrants who do not take advantage of the incentive will face enforcement consequences.
She said that individuals who remain unlawfully in the country will be "found," "arrested," and barred from returning to the United States.
DHS officials say that the initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce costs associated with immigration enforcement.
According to ICE estimates from May 2025, the average cost to arrest, detain, and deport an undocumented migrant is approximately $17,000, significantly higher than the expense of voluntary travel assistance.
Context within broader immigration enforcement
The expanded stipend comes as the Trump administration continues a sweeping immigration crackdown that combines increased enforcement with policies designed to encourage migrants to leave voluntarily.
While ICE and Customs and Border Protection's arrests remain a central part of the administration's approach, officials have increasingly emphasized self-deportation as a cost-saving alternative.
DHS says that since January this year, approximately 1.9 million undocumented immigrants have voluntarily left the United States, with "tens of thousands" doing so through the CBP Home Program.
Those figures, however, have not been independently verified, and DHS has not released detailed data showing how many individuals received government-funded travel or stipends.
