The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sharply increased its incentive for undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the country, raising the so-called “exit bonus” from $1,000 to $3,000 in an effort to reduce enforcement and detention costs. The offer, which includes free airfare to the migrant’s home country, is valid only until 31 December 2025.
The financial support is being administered through the CBP Home app, a government platform retooled under the Trump administration to facilitate self-deportation. According to DHS, individuals who leave voluntarily using the app will also be granted amnesty from certain civil fines and penalties associated with their unlawful stay.
DHS Says Self-Deportation Campaign Saves Public Money and Increases Efficiency
The increased stipend comes as part of a holiday initiative by the DHS to ease the fiscal and logistical burdens of large-scale immigration enforcement. According to CBS News, the average cost to detain, process and deport a single undocumented migrant is estimated at $17,000. DHS argues that encouraging self-removal not only speeds up the process but significantly reduces the overall cost to the taxpayer.
Participants who enrol through the CBP Home app and make “meaningful strides” toward departure are deprioritised for arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), although DHS has not publicly defined the duration or terms of this reprieve. The payment, according to officials, is issued once the federal government confirms the individual has exited the country.
The CBP Home app itself was originally developed under the Biden administration as CBP One, intended to help migrants schedule asylum appointments. Under President Trump’s renewed immigration policies, the platform has been repurposed to allow undocumented individuals to declare their intent to leave, submit personal details, and track their case status during the departure process.
According to DHS, 1.9 million undocumented migrants have self-deported since January 2025, with “tens of thousands” of those using the CBP Home app specifically. While these figures have been cited across several government releases, CBS News notes they have not been independently verified.
Clear Deadline and Strict Warning Issued by Homeland Security
The offer to receive the increased financial stipend is strictly time-limited. According to a statement released by DHS on 22 December, the $3,000 bonus applies only to individuals who complete their departure by the end of 2025. The department has framed the measure as both a gesture of goodwill during the holiday period and a method of encouraging swift compliance with immigration laws.
In a statement provided to CBS News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged undocumented migrants to accept the offer, stating: “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 added that those who decline the offer will face full enforcement measures without exception.
The department has also launched a public campaign around the programme, promoting the CBP Home app as an accessible, fast, and “dignified” way to leave the country. According to The Independent, promotional materials include a nostalgic Christmas-themed advertisement featuring scenes of migrants boarding planes home.
In a similar development, DHS previously introduced a $2,500 stipend for migrant teenagers who voluntarily return to their countries of origin. As reported by CBS News, this initiative is part of a wider strategy by the Trump administration to increase self-deportations among families and unaccompanied minors, in parallel with more visible enforcement efforts by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
