Trump administration triples self-deportation incentive to $3,000

The Trump administration has increased to $3,000 the financial incentive offered to migrants who voluntarily leave the United States, tripling the previous stipend, the Department of Homeland Security announced on December 22.

According to the department, cited by Reuters, the payment will be available to individuals residing in the US illegally who agree to leave the country by the end of the year. The offer also includes a free flight to their country of origin.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urged eligible migrants to take advantage of the program, warning of tougher enforcement ahead. “Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return,” she said in a statement.

The administration first introduced the initiative in March through a rebranded mobile application called CBP Home, designed to simplify the process of voluntary departure. The app was previously known as CBP One and had been used under the prior administration to allow migrants to enter the United States legally.

DHS has argued that voluntary departures significantly reduce government expenses. In May, the department estimated that the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting a person without legal status is approximately $17,000.

US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January pledging to carry out record levels of deportations, has intensified immigration enforcement despite domestic and international criticism. While Trump has promised to remove up to 1 million undocumented migrants annually, his administration has deported about 622,000 people so far this year.

Looking ahead, the administration is preparing for a broader and more aggressive immigration push in 2026. Plans include securing billions of dollars in additional funding, hiring thousands of new immigration enforcement agents, opening new detention facilities, and expanding cooperation with private companies to locate and track individuals living in the US without legal status.