Increased incentives are being offered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is providing a $3,000 stipend and free airfare to illegal migrants who voluntarily depart the United States by December 31, 2025, through the CBP Home app. The initiative, part of a year-end home for the holidays season, aims to accelerate voluntary departures and reduce costs associated with detention and deportation.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the program’s accessibility, noting that the offer applies to those who have not been detained, may have interacted with immigration authorities, or are detained but have no criminal charges. “We’ll help you get home. We’ll facilitate it. And you might get the chance to come back to this country the right way,” Noem remarked.
The CBP Home app allows eligible participants to register their intent to leave. Once DHS verifies departure, participants receive the stipend and waived civil fines tied to their unlawful presence. According to Noem, approximately 1.9 million migrants have voluntarily self-deported since January 2025, with thousands using the app.
DHS framed the incentive as a holiday gift that provides a swift and low-cost option for those in the country illegally. Individuals who do not participate may face arrest and removal, with restrictions on future reentry. The program builds on prior initiatives, including a similar stipend offered in October to migrant teenagers returning home voluntarily.
