The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a new voluntary self-deportation initiative that will provide illegal immigrants with both travel arrangements and a $1,000 stipend for returning to their country of origin.
Through the newly launched feature in the CBP Home App, undocumented individuals can submit their “Intent to Depart” and receive travel assistance to leave the U.S. without facing arrest or detention. DHS officials confirmed that the first participant in the program—a Honduran national—has already returned home after flying from Chicago to Honduras. Additional flights have been booked for others planning to follow suit.
The initiative is being framed as a cost-saving alternative to traditional deportation methods. DHS estimates that self-deportation via CBP Home will reduce government removal costs by approximately 70%, noting that the average cost for arrest, detention, and removal currently stands at $17,121 per individual.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers. Download the CBP Home App TODAY and self-deport.”
The CBP Home App is part of a broader overhaul of immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration. President Trump ended the CBP One App, which DHS says allowed more than one million illegal aliens to enter the country. In its place, Secretary Noem introduced the CBP Home App, featuring the self-deportation tool for those already in the U.S. illegally.
Those who participate in the program will be deprioritized for detention and removal as long as they demonstrate progress toward departure. DHS also indicated that voluntarily leaving the U.S. through the app could help preserve future legal reentry options.
DHS emphasized that this effort is backed by enforcement of the Alien Registration Act, which mandates that all aliens in the U.S. must register with the federal government. Failure to do so may result in fines and imprisonment.
Since President Trump and Secretary Noem took office, deportations have already exceeded 152,000—marking what DHS describes as only the beginning of their enforcement surge. Daily border encounters have reportedly dropped by 95%, and migration through Panama’s Darien Gap—previously a major route for illegal border crossers—is down 99.99%.
For more information, or to begin the self-deportation process, individuals are encouraged to visit DHS.gov/CBPhome.
