The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ramping up initiatives to encourage unauthorized immigrants to self-deport by offering a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance through the CBP Home app. Announced on Monday, the program will provide support for those who voluntarily leave the country, with funds disbursed upon confirmation of their return via the app. This strategy is part of a response to stalled deportation rates in the early days of President Trump’s administration, who promised to enact mass deportations.
DHS has not clarified the verification process for confirming departure or how the stipend will be distributed. However, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that users would need to submit biographical information, facial images, and geo-location. Importantly, departing individuals must be at least three miles from U.S. borders to utilize certain app features.
Secretary Kristi Noem praised self-deportation as a cost-effective alternative to deportations, which average $17,121 per case. DHS anticipates that this new approach could decrease taxpayer costs by up to 70%. So far, approximately 5,000 immigrants have expressed intent to self-deport using the app, with downloads surging to around 300,000 since early 2025.
The revamped CBP Home app, which transitioned from a Biden-era program for asylum-seekers, has been promoted through a $200 million advertising campaign featuring Noem, aimed at encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave the U.S. The agency also promises that those opting for self-deportation will be deprioritized for detention, as long as they show progress toward their departure. However, immigration advocates caution that the actual ability to return legally in the future is uncertain, raising ethical concerns about the pressures of self-deportation.
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