The Department of Homeland Security has tripled the financial incentive offered to illegal aliens who voluntarily leave the United States, increasing its “exit bonus” from $1,000 to $3,000 as part of a broader effort to accelerate removals and reduce enforcement costs.
Under the policy, illegal aliens who register with the federal government and depart the country by December 31, 2025, are eligible to receive a $3,000 stipend along with government-funded airfare to their home countries. DHS said participants may also be eligible to have certain civil fines or penalties waived if they voluntarily depart using the CBP Home smartphone application.
The CBP Home app, originally developed under the Biden administration as CBP One to schedule asylum appointments, has been repurposed under the Trump administration to facilitate voluntary departures. DHS officials stated that the platform enables individuals without lawful status to signal their intention to leave and track their departure from the country.
If approved, participants receive travel assistance and the $3,000 payment once the U.S. government confirms their departure, according to DHS.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement to CBS News that illegal aliens who do not take advantage of the temporary incentive will be “found,” “arrested,” and “never return” to the United States.
DHS said the increased stipend is part of a holiday season effort to reduce taxpayer costs by encouraging voluntary departures. As of May 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement estimated the average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an illegal alien at approximately $17,000, significantly higher than the cost of government-funded travel assistance.
Under the program, DHS said participants are deprioritized for ICE arrest and detention as long as they demonstrate “meaningful strides” toward leaving the country, though the department has not released detailed guidance explaining how compliance is assessed or how long that status remains in effect.
DHS claims that since January 2025, approximately 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily left the United States, with tens of thousands doing so through the CBP Home program. Those figures have not been independently verified, and DHS has not publicly released a detailed breakdown showing how many participants received stipends or government-funded travel.
Internal government figures previously obtained by CBS News show that during the first six months of President Trump’s second term, nearly 150,000 individuals were deported, while roughly 13,000 self-deported.
