The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a short-term holiday program offering $3,000 and a government-paid flight home to undocumented migrants who voluntarily leave the United States by the end of the year.
In a DHS press release issued Monday, the agency said people in the U.S. without legal status who enroll to self-deport through the CBP Home mobile application by December 31 will be eligible for a cash stipend, paid travel to their home countries, and relief from civil fines or penalties tied to failing to depart.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the program expands on a $1,000 incentive introduced in May, describing the increased payment as a way to speed up voluntary departures during the holiday season while lowering enforcement costs.
“Since January 2025, 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program,” Noem said. “During the Christmas season, the US taxpayer is generously tripling the incentive to leave voluntarily — offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year.”
She also warned that those who do not participate could face arrest and removal. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return,” Noem said.
The CBP Home app — previously known as CBP One — was launched during the Biden administration to let migrants schedule asylum interviews. Under President Donald Trump, the app was renamed and repurposed to support voluntary self-deportation, which officials have described as a faster and less expensive alternative to arrests and detention.
DHS estimates that arresting, detaining, and deporting a migrant without legal status costs about $17,000 per person — far more than the incentive package, even with the higher stipend.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown and its push for higher deportation totals. While the administration initially set a target of removing 1 million undocumented immigrants annually, it has so far deported between 261,000 and 622,000 people this year, according to official figures cited by U.S. agencies and media reports.
Officials also said the government is preparing for a more aggressive enforcement effort in 2026, supported by billions of dollars in new funding. Plans include hiring thousands of additional immigration agents, opening new detention centers, and working with private companies to track people without legal status.
