Chicago – May 06, 2025
The Trump administration has launched a new initiative offering undocumented immigrants in the U.S. a $1,000 stipend plus travel expenses if they voluntarily “self-deport” using the CBP Home app, which was previously used to facilitate asylum requests.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described this as the safest, most cost-effective, and “dignified” way for migrants to leave the country, aiming to reduce the costly and resource-intensive process of arresting, detaining, and deporting individuals without legal status, which averages around $17,121 per case23510.
Since the app’s repurposing from asylum facilitation to promoting removals, over 7,000 people have used it to initiate their departure, with the government already assisting at least one individual traveling from Chicago to Honduras. The administration hopes that migrants will choose voluntary departure over the risk of arrest and fines, especially as detention facilities are at full capacity and enforcement efforts intensify1210.
However, immigrant advocates remain skeptical, questioning whether migrants will trust that they will receive the promised financial incentive or be able to pursue legal status in the future, as suggested by the administration1. The program is part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration under President Trump, who has made mass deportations a key policy focus since his inauguration in January 2025235.
