President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Monday that it will offer $1,000 in compensation to anyone who is in the US illegally and voluntarily returns to their home country. The measure is part of the mass deportation campaign that has been central to Trump’s politics since he ran for office.

According to a press release from the US Department of Homeland Security, the government will also cover travel expenses. Migrants who use the CBP Home app to notify the authorities that they plan to return will also be given priority in the agency’s work on arrests and physical removals.

– If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest, said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, adding:

– DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.

The department itself states that it has already paid for the plane ticket for a migrant who has returned to Honduras from Chicago, and that more tickets are booked for this week and next week.

NOW – Kristi Noem breaks down self-deportation: “These illegal aliens that are in our country have the opportunity to go on the CBP Home app and we will facilitate them finding their way back to their countries—They will be paid $1000 as an incentive.” pic.twitter.com/9Rw5mmWxrX

— Overton (@overton_news) May 6, 2025

Self-deportation – a key part of Trump’s strategy

During his presidential campaign, Trump made immigration control and mass deportations a central issue, and his administration has continued along this path during its first months in power. At the same time, implementation has been described as expensive, slow, and resource-intensive.

While the Republican government is requesting significantly increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for deporting unwanted immigrants from the country, it is also trying to get people without residence permits to leave the US voluntarily.

The initiative has been combined with TV ads warning of measures against illegal immigrants and images on social media showing arrests and migrants being taken to a giant prison in El Salvador.

The Trump administration has repeatedly described self-deportation as a way for migrants to preserve the possibility of legally returning to the US in the future, and the president himself repeated this message on Monday in a statement to reporters at the White House.

He said that immigrants who leave the country voluntarily may have a chance to return legally in the future, “if they are good people” and “love our country”.

– If they aren’t, they won’t, Trump added.

Activists urge migrants to reject the offer

It should be noted that the app developed by the Trump administration is a revised version of the app launched during Joe Biden’s presidency with the aim of allowing nearly one million immigrants to book appointments to enter the country.

However, as the purpose of the app is now to encourage immigrants to return home, it has been renamed from CBP One to CBP Home and, according to the Department of Homeland Security, has so far been used by “thousands” of migrants for self-deportation.

However, Trump’s opponents do not view the proposal favorably. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, an immigration activist and senior researcher at the American Immigration Council, urges migrants to be very cautious and consider remaining in the US for as long as possible to pursue their cases in immigration court.

He points out that it is often a disadvantage for migrants themselves to leave the country voluntarily, especially for those already facing deportation, as failure to participate in court proceedings can lead to automatic deportation orders and returning home is often considered abandoning important applications, such as asylum.

Others argue that the amount is probably far too low and that only a few illegal immigrants would actually consider leaving the US permanently in exchange for $1,000.