The Trump administration is stepping up its push for voluntary departures by offering money to undocumented immigrants who choose to leave. This is one part of a larger, tougher immigration policy.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it will triple the payment for undocumented immigrants who agree to leave the country on their own. The administration calls this the “exit bonus.” It will go from $1,000 to $3,000 for anyone who signs up for the voluntary departure program and leaves before December 31, 2025, according to USA Today.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the measure as a generous act by American taxpayers during the holidays. “During the Christmas season, the U.S. taxpayer is so generously tripling the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally,” she said in an official statement.
Even with the incentive, the administration gave a clear warning. “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,” Noem said.
There is an important difference between leaving voluntarily and being forced to leave. People deported by authorities cannot return to the United States. Those who leave on their own may be able to come back legally, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Economic Considerations
The Trump administration says it is making this change due to budget constraints.
DHS officials told USA Today that it costs about $17,121 to arrest, detain, and remove one person. Even after paying for airfare and the $3,000 bonus, the voluntary departure program would cut these costs by about 70 percent, according to official estimates.
To use the offer, people must sign up through the CBP Home mobile app, developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This app replaces the earlier CBP One app and lets users show they plan to leave and confirm when they have left.
Besides the bonus and airfare, the program also waives some civil fines for being in the country illegally. It also lowers the priority for ICE arrests for people who show they are making real efforts to leave, though CBS News says the exact rules for this protection have not been shared.
Disputed Data
DHS says that 1.9 million undocumented immigrants have left the United States on their own since January 2025, and “tens of thousands” used the CBP Home program. However, these numbers have not been checked by outside sources.
CBS News says internal data shows the administration deported nearly 150,000 people in the first six months of Donald Trump’s second term, and there were 13,000 official voluntary departures. This is much less than the 1.9 million number given by DHS.
The Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration limits, estimated that the foreign-born population declined by 2.2 million in the first half of the year, based on U.S. Census Bureau survey data. This would be the biggest yearly drop in decades.
However, these estimates have been strongly criticized. The Peterson Institute for International Economics called the 2.2 million number “implausibly large” and “uncorroborated.” They suggested that fewer immigrants may be answering surveys because they are cautious about government questions, which could explain some of the reported drop.
A Targeted Communications Campaign
This announcement is part of a DHS communications plan for the holiday season. The agency recently shared Christmas-themed posts to promote its immigration policy, including a video with scenes from Christmas movies and the slogan “Christmas After Mass Deportations.”
Catholic leaders have strongly criticized these messages. Archbishop Paul Coakley, who leads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network said the administration is using religious holidays for political reasons, according to Axios.
The voluntary departure program with cash incentives started in May 2025 and first offered a $1,000 bonus. The recent increase seems aimed at boosting year-end numbers as the administration tries to show progress on its promise of “mass deportations.”
The Washington Times reports that ICE is expected to finish 2025 with fewer than 500,000 formal removals. This would be a record, but still less than the White House goal of one million.
