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The Department of Homeland Security is offering illegal migrants a $3,000 payment to voluntarily leave the United States before the end of the year, according to a report by CBS News.
Under the program, DHS has increased its so-called “exit bonus” from $1,000 to $3,000 for migrants who agree to self-deport by Dec. 31, 2025. Participants must register with the federal government and depart using the rebranded CBP Home mobile application.
DHS says migrants approved for the program will receive free airfare to their home countries and may have certain civil fines or penalties waived if they leave voluntarily. The stipend would be issued only after the government confirms the individual has exited the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News the incentive is temporary and warned that migrants who refuse the offer will face enforcement. She said those who stay will be found, arrested and can never return to the United States.
The CBP Home platform is modeled after the Biden-era CBP One app, which was originally used to schedule asylum appointments at the southern border. Under President Donald Trump, the technology has been repurposed to facilitate voluntary departures as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
Migrants are instructed to use the app to notify DHS of their intent to leave. If approved, they receive travel assistance and the $3,000 payment once their departure is confirmed, the department said.
DHS officials argue the program is designed to accelerate removals while reducing costs for taxpayers. As of May 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimated the average cost to arrest, detain and remove an illegal immigrant was about $17,000, according to CBS News. Voluntary departures with travel assistance are significantly less expensive, DHS said.
The department has launched a holiday-themed advertising campaign promoting the app as a more dignified way to leave the country. According to the report, internal DHS data shows tens of thousands of migrants have already used the app to depart since the self-deportation feature was introduced earlier this year.
The administration is betting that higher cash incentives, free flights and reduced enforcement pressure for those making documented efforts to leave will persuade more migrants to comply, shifting resources away from detention and toward enforcement against those who remain.
