White House Makes $1K Offer to Migrants

DHS will pay $1K to those here illegally who self-deport
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 5, 2025 11:08 AM CDT
Trump to Illegal Immigrants: Self-Deport, We'll Pay You $1K
President Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, May 4, 2025.   (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The Trump administration says it will pay migrants in the US illegally $1,000 to return to their home country voluntarily. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that it will also help with travel expenses, and that those who use an app called CBP Home to tell the government they plan to self-deport will be "deprioritized" for detention and removal by immigration enforcement, reports the AP.

"If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App," Secretary Kristi Noem said. The cash offer might seem a little bold, but the Hill reports that the argument can be made that that figure represents a veritable bargain over the reported $17,000 it costs to arrest, detain, and deport an immigrant.

President Trump, who has made immigration enforcement a hallmark of his second term, is pushing Congress for a massive increase in resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Self-deportation, however, may be a cheaper option. (More deportation stories.)

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