Homeland Security has initiated a voluntary self-deportation program for illegal immigrants, offering a free flight home and $1,000. According to the American Spectator, the agency repurposed the CBP One app into CBP Home to facilitate departures.
Voluntary departure programs are not new but have gained importance amid public concerns about immigration enforcement costs and judicial challenges. According to Pew Research, only 29% of Americans support deporting all undocumented immigrants, while 51% support limited removals focused primarily on violent offenders. This public hesitancy has led the Trump administration to adopt a softer, cost-effective approach aimed at reducing the undocumented population without high-profile removals or lengthy court battles.
The Department of Homeland Security repurposed the CBP One app—previously used during the Biden administration to help migrants enter the U.S.—into CBP Home, an exit tool. Under the new initiative, users who register their intention to leave the country will receive free airfare and $1,000 upon verified return to their home country. According to the Houston Chronicle, the first CBP Home charter flight departed from Houston in May, carrying migrants to Colombia and Honduras.
Traditional deportations are significantly more expensive than voluntary departures. As reported by the Associated Press, it costs the U.S. government nearly $20,000 to deport a single undocumented immigrant when considering detention, legal processing, and transportation. By comparison, the CBP Home program costs under $1,500 per person—including airfare and the incentive payment—making it a fiscally strategic initiative.
