DHS Triples 'Exit Bonus' to $3,000 for Undocumented Migrants in Year-End Self-Deportation Push
- 17GEN4
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
Washington, D.C. — December 22, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has increased its financial incentive for undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the United States, raising the "exit bonus" from $1,000 to $3,000 for those who register and depart by December 31, 2025.
The enhanced offer, part of a holiday-season campaign to accelerate removals, includes free airfare to participants' home countries and waivers of certain civil fines or penalties associated with unlawful presence. Migrants must use the CBP Home mobile app—repurposed earlier this year from the Biden-era CBP One app—to register their intent to self-deport and confirm their departure.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the urgency of the limited-time incentive in a statement, warning that those who do not participate will face heightened enforcement. "This is a generous final opportunity," Noem said. "Those who ignore it will be found, arrested, and permanently barred from returning."
The program, launched in May 2025 under "Project Homecoming," initially offered a $1,000 stipend plus travel assistance as a cost-saving alternative to traditional deportations, which DHS estimates average $17,000 per person in arrest, detention, and removal expenses. Officials claim the voluntary approach has contributed to 1.9 million undocumented immigrants leaving the country since January 2025, though only tens of thousands have used the official CBP Home process.
Critics, including immigrant advocacy groups, have raised concerns about the program's implementation. Earlier reports highlighted cases where participants in the $1,000 incentive allegedly did not receive promised payments, describing the process as misleading. Immigration lawyers have also questioned whether self-deportation preserves future legal re-entry options, as DHS has suggested, given existing re-entry bars under U.S. law.
The tripled bonus comes amid the Trump administration's broader mass deportation efforts, which have included expanded ICE operations and advertising campaigns urging self-deportation. A separate initiative offers $2,500 stipends to unaccompanied migrant teenagers who voluntarily return home.
DHS officials describe the year-end boost as a taxpayer-friendly measure to reduce enforcement costs while providing a "dignified" exit. Participants who show progress toward departure are temporarily deprioritized for ICE arrests, though details on compliance monitoring remain limited.
As the deadline approaches, migrant communities and legal aid organizations are advising caution, urging individuals to consult attorneys before registering via the app.