DHS announces limited-time holiday boost to $3,000 stipend plus free flight home for undocumented migrants who register to self-deport by Dec 31, 2025, via CBP Home app. Secretary Noem warns non-participants face arrest and permanent ban
DHS Launches Holiday ‘Exit Bonus’: $3,000 Stipend for Migrants to Self-Deport Voluntarily
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rolled out a limited-time holiday incentive, tripling its financial offer to encourage undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the country before the end of 2025.
Undocumented individuals who register for self-deportation through the CBP Home app by December 31 will receive a $3,000 stipend, a free flight to their home country, and forgiveness of certain civil fines or penalties for overstaying.
The program, known as “Project Homecoming,” was launched in May 2025 under a presidential proclamation by President Donald Trump. It originally provided $1,000 and free travel, with funding repurposed from refugee resettlement allocations.
DHS highlighted the cost savings, noting that voluntary departures are significantly cheaper than enforced removals, which average over $17,000 per person.
“Since January 2025, 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported, and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home programme.
“During the Christmas season, the US taxpayer is so generously tripling the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally—offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year,” the statement read.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a stark warning to those who decline the offer: “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.
The process is described as straightforward: Migrants download the CBP Home app (a rebranded version of the previous CBP One app focused on voluntary departures), submit their details, and DHS handles travel arrangements at no cost to the participant. The stipend is paid after departure is confirmed.
DHS reports that approximately 1.9 million undocumented migrants have left voluntarily since January 2025, with tens of thousands utilizing the app-based program—though these figures await independent verification.
The announcement aligns with the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, emphasizing self-deportation as a humane and efficient alternative to detention and forced removal. Critics, however, question the program’s implications for due process and long-term re-entry options.
As the deadline approaches, DHS urges eligible individuals to act quickly, framing the incentive as a “generous” holiday opportunity amid heightened enforcement efforts. Read More
