The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a self-deportation campaign offering illegal immigrants free flights back to their home countries, along with a USD 2,600 exit bonus.
As part of the campaign, DHS used images of famous landmarks, including India’s Taj Mahal, as well as notable sites in Colombia and China, to promote the initiative. "Receive a FREE flight home and a USD 2,600 exit bonus when you use CBP Home to self-deport," DHS said in a post on X.
The initiative, called Project Homecoming, was launched in May last year, after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump's second term in office.
The DHS has advised migrants to use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app to begin the process, allowing them to register their intent to leave the country voluntarily, submit their details, and access information about travel assistance and the financial incentive offered under the programme.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than 2.2 million illegal immigrants have participated in the program since its launch in January 2025.
DHS noted that while a traditional enforced deportation costs around USD 18,245 per person, the new self-deportation option—with a USD 2,600 exit stipend through the CBP Home App—reduces the cost to just USD 5,100 per individual, saving American taxpayers over USD 13,000 per participant.
The programme provides migrants the chance to "return home as regular travelers-without arrest, detention, or restraints. It's a safe, orderly alternative that provides assistance and flexibility, not fear, according to the website.
Using the CBP Home app, according to DHS, “allows illegal aliens to plan their return, including having an opportunity to depart in a timely manner – allowing illegal aliens to wrap up work, school, and personal matters and organise their return in an orderly and lawful way.”
When the program began in May of last year, the DHS initially offered an exit bonus of USD 1,000. This amount was temporarily increased to USD 3,000 during the December holidays for illegal immigrants who chose to leave before the new year. In January of this year, the exit bonus was set at a permanent rate of USD 2,600.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is poised for new leadership, presenting a chance either to reset Trump’s immigration policies or to intensify his signature promise of the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, as reported by AP.
Recently, the White House’s political director urged party lawmakers at a retreat at Trump’s Florida golf club to prioritise immigration enforcement targeting criminals—a shift away from the broad mass-deportation agenda championed during the campaign. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the aggressive operations as causing a “hiccup” for the party and said it is now pursuing a “course correction.”
Despite signs of a strategic pivot, Trump’s mass deportation effort appears to be accelerating, with billions of dollars allocated to hire additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, construct large detention facilities, and achieve the administration’s target of apprehending and removing approximately 1 million immigrants from the U.S. this year.
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