‎US launches $3,000 ‘Leave Voluntarily’ immigration plan

In a bold move to accelerate the departure of undocumented migrants from the United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced a temporary $3,000 financial incentive for those who choose to leave the country voluntarily before the end of the year.
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‎The initiative, part of a program known as Project Homecoming, offers eligible migrants a $3,000 cash “exit bonus” plus a free flight back to their home country if they register their intent to leave using the government’s CBP Home mobile app and depart by December 31, 2025.
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‎The incentive — a threefold increase from the previous $1,000 payment — is framed by DHS as both a cost-saving and humane alternative to traditional forced deportations. Officials argue that paying migrants to self-deport could be far cheaper than the roughly $17,000 average cost per person for arresting, detaining, and removing someone through enforcement operations.
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‎Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has strongly encouraged participation, describing the bonus as a limited-time “gift” for the holiday season and warning that those who do not take part will face mandatory arrest and removal with permanent reentry bars.
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‎The plan revisits and expands a policy started earlier in 2025, when the administration first introduced stipends and free travel for self-deporting migrants. Under the current rules, those who use the CBP Home app not only receive the monetary payment and flight but may also be eligible for forgiveness of certain civil fines or penalties tied to immigration violations.
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‎Supporters of the policy argue it provides an orderly, low-cost path for undocumented migrants who have few other legal options and helps reduce backlogs and enforcement costs. Yet critics caution that offering financial incentives under the threat of detention and removal raises ethical and humanitarian concerns about coercion and whether vulnerable communities are being pressured into leaving without full legal protections.
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‎As the deadline approaches, policymakers and advocates on both sides of the immigration debate will watch closely to see how many take up the offer — and whether it meaningfully reshapes the broader landscape of U.S. immigration enforcement.