Trump Administration Offers $1,000 and Flight Home to Undocumented Immigrants Who Self-Deport via CBP Home App

By Mary Campbell | Editorial credit: Joshua Sukoff / shutterstock.com 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 5, 2025: In a controversial escalation of its immigration enforcement efforts, the Trump administration announced today that undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the United States through a new government-run application will receive $1,000 and free airfare back to their home countries.

The initiative, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is part of a self-deportation campaign designed to reduce immigration enforcement costs and encourage voluntary departures through what officials are calling a “dignified alternative” to arrest and deportation.

According to DHS, the new program—accessible via the CBP Home App—allows undocumented immigrants to file a formal “Intent to Depart” and coordinate their travel plans directly with Customs and Border Protection. Once departure is verified through the app, participants will be eligible to receive the $1,000 stipend. The financial assistance will be disbursed only after their return to their home country is confirmed.

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“Self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States and avoid arrest,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at a press briefing. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement and for the individuals involved, and it saves American taxpayers 70 percent of the current cost of enforcement and removal.”

Current estimates place the average cost of apprehension, detention, and deportation at $17,121 per person. DHS projects that use of the CBP Home App will reduce that cost dramatically by eliminating the need for raids, detention, court proceedings, and transport logistics managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The policy has already been implemented in select cases. DHS confirmed that one participant—a Honduran national who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration—used the CBP Home App to book a flight from Chicago to Tegucigalpa. DHS reports that more departures have been scheduled for the coming weeks.

Eligibility and Application Process

To qualify, individuals must:

• Be currently in the U.S. without lawful status
• Submit their “Intent to Depart” through the CBP Home App
• Provide valid biometric information
• Upload identity documents and a detailed departure plan
• Confirm arrival in their home country to receive the stipend

Officials emphasized that undocumented immigrants who submit their intent to self-deport will not be targeted by ICE for detention or enforcement actions so long as they are actively taking steps to leave. DHS also hinted that such cooperation may be considered a favorable factor in any future application to re-enter the United States through legal channels.

Critics of the program have already raised concerns about coercion, privacy risks, and the broader implications of formalizing a digital pipeline for departure. Immigrant advocacy groups argue that the initiative may pressure vulnerable populations to leave without fully understanding their legal options, including asylum, adjustment of status, or cancellation of removal.

Despite the backlash, the administration insists that participation is entirely voluntary and that the financial incentives, combined with the ability to avoid ICE encounters, make the program an attractive alternative for those without lawful status.

Eligible participants must submit biometric data, confirm identity and nationality, and upload a “Departure Plan” before receiving final travel approval and stipend eligibility.

As debate around the policy intensifies, immigration experts are closely watching to see whether the program will become a long-term fixture in federal immigration policy—or a flashpoint in the political battle over immigration reform.

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