Trump Administration Offers $1,000 to Migrants Who Voluntarily Self-Deport
The Trump administration has unveiled a controversial new initiative offering $1,000 and free transportation to undocumented migrants who voluntarily agree to leave the United States, calling it a cost-saving and “dignified” alternative to forced deportation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the program Monday, describing voluntary departure as “the best, safest, and most cost-effective way” to resolve immigration cases without detention or legal proceedings.
The initiative, launched under the Department of Homeland Security’s new “self-deportation” scheme, allows eligible migrants to register via the CBP One app. Those who enroll will not be prioritized for arrest or detention, officials said.
The DHS said the first migrant under the program—a Honduran national—had already departed from Chicago using a flight ticket provided by the government.
Officials argue the plan could significantly reduce the $17,000 average cost associated with arresting, detaining, and deporting an undocumented migrant. By contrast, offering financial incentives for voluntary exit is being touted as both humanitarian and fiscally responsible.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, said migrants who take the offer may eventually be considered for legal reentry.
“We’ll work with them,” Trump said. “If they’re good people, the kind of people we want here, maybe someday they’ll return the right way.”
The proposal has ignited sharp criticism from Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in Congress, slammed the initiative on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“We don’t bribe people to leave. We build a country where everyone belongs.”
Trump’s administration has leaned heavily on aggressive immigration enforcement in its second term, including invoking obscure wartime statutes and expanding interior raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, legal setbacks have hindered efforts to curtail birthright citizenship and rapidly accelerate deportations.
Still, administration officials have claimed early success. They point to a reported drop in illegal border crossings—with just over 7,000 arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the lowest monthly figure in years—as proof the tougher approach is working.
Critics, however, warn that the latest move raises ethical and legal questions, suggesting it could amount to coercion disguised as voluntary compliance.
