Self-deporting via app? US offers $1,000 and travel aid for undocumented immigrants

The statement said: “Depending on their circumstances, they might receive financial and other assistance from the US government to depart.” Those interested have been directed to register through the Trump administration’s self-deportation Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App.

The US government is promoting the CBP Home App for its incentives tied to voluntary exits of illegal immigrants. US Secretary of Homeland Security described self-deportation as the “best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest.”

Foreign nationals in the United States residing illegally should leave immediately.
The Department of Homeland Security has announced an historic opportunity for foreign nationals who wish to leave the United States, including those unlawfully present.
Depending on their… pic.twitter.com/9B02wvFC7j

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) June 7, 2025

“DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App. This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70 per cent savings for US taxpayers,” she added.

Currently, the DHS claims that the average cost to arrest, detain and deport someone from the US is $17,121, The Guardian reported.

$1,000 stipend

According to the official Homeland Security website, incentives tied to self-deportation include a $1,000 stipend, and financial and travel document assistance. The stipend is granted once confirmation is received through the CBP Home App that the return has been completed.

Those who voluntarily register may also receive help with booking tickets and obtaining necessary travel documentation. “Aliens requesting assistance will have a timely departure arrangement facilitated for them (estimated departure to be within 21 days of approval),” the website states.

Other incentives include a longer departure period for self-funded travellers, deprioritisation for detention or removal by ICE, and improved chances for future immigration options.

The DHS outlines two eligible categories: “Non-criminal aliens illegally in the United States who had an encounter with CBP either at a port of entry or between ports of entry” and “categorical parolees whose legal presence in the United States has expired or will soon expire.” Applicants must be physically present in the US at the time of applying.

Just days earlier, the US Embassy in India had issued another alert for visa overstayers, warning they “risk arrest and heavy fines or incarceration… may be deported and could face a permanent ban on future travel to the United States.”