DHS Unveils Self-Deportation Program Offering $1,000 Stipend

The Department of Homeland Security has introduced a new program offering financial incentives for undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the United States. Under this policy, individuals who register through the CBP Home app and agree to self-deport will have their commercial flight costs covered and receive a $1,000 stipend, paid after departure is confirmed. Officials say this approach is expected to reduce deportation costs by about 70%, decreasing the average expense from $17,000 to $4,500 per person, and is promoted as safer for law enforcement and migrants. Those who participate are deprioritized for ICE detention and may remain eligible to return to the U.S. legally in the future. The initiative is positioned as both a taxpayer savings measure and a less confrontational alternative to forced removals, drawing political attention as part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.