‘Self-deportation is best’: Trump administration offers $1,000, free tickets to migrants to leave US voluntarily

In a renewed effort to advance its mass deportation agenda, US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday unveiled a new initiative that pays undocumented immigrants $1,000 to voluntarily leave the United States and return to their home countries. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also announced that it will cover travel expenses for those participating.

Migrants who use a revamped mobile application called CBP Home — originally CBP One under the Biden administration — to signal their intent to return will be “deprioritised” for arrest and detention, according to a DHS news release.

“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. She added that the department now provides financial travel assistance through the CBP Home app as a practical exit strategy for undocumented migrants.

Officials noted that the first plane ticket under the programme was recently used by a migrant returning to Honduras from Chicago, and more flights have already been booked in the coming weeks.

Critics raise legal and logistical concerns

The self-deportation scheme is being rolled out amid high costs and logistical challenges tied to mass deportations. While the administration has requested additional funding from Congress to expand immigration enforcement operations, it is also using social media and television campaigns to persuade migrants to leave voluntarily, some featuring visuals of arrests and prison transfers to El Salvador.

President Trump defended the move in remarks at the White House, saying self-deportation may allow migrants to legally return one day “if they’re good people” and “love our country.” “And if they aren’t, they won’t,” he added.

However, immigration experts have flagged serious concerns. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, warned that migrants in removal proceedings may suffer irreversible legal consequences if they leave the U.S. without attending immigration court hearings. Doing so could result in automatic deportation orders and abandonment of key applications, including asylum claims.

He also questioned the funding source for the stipend programme and the legal authority behind it. “They’re not getting their numbers,” Reichlin-Melnick said, implying that the administration’s enforcement efforts are falling short, pushing it to encourage self-deportation instead.

DHS claims that “thousands” have already used the CBP Home app to begin the process of returning home, but it remains unclear how many fully understand the long-term risks associated with the decision.