Kristi Noem is pitching a year-end deal to undocumented migrants to leave the United States voluntarily and get a paycheck from the government.
The Department of Homeland Security has announced it is tripling its “self-deportation” payment to $3,000 per person through Dec. 31, a temporary bump meant to accelerate departures during the holiday season. The offer also includes travel assistance, with the department saying it will cover transportation for people who agree to leave on their own.
Under President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration enforcement push, DHS has already been offering $1,000 plus free travel to persuade people without legal authorization to exit the country without being arrested and removed. Noem says taxpayers are “generously” increasing that incentive, but the clock is ticking.
“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 in a statement.
This Christmas season, the U.S. taxpayer is generously TRIPLING the incentive for illegal aliens to leave voluntarily. Through the end of the year, illegal aliens who self-deport using the CBP Home App can receive a $3,000 exit bonus.
Illegal aliens should take advantage of this… pic.twitter.com/AKQZChPYfZ
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) December 22, 2025
DHS argues the program saves the government cash because officials have said arresting, detaining, and removing someone costs an average of $17,121. If the government can convince someone to leave voluntarily for a few thousand dollars and a ticket home, it avoids a far more expensive enforcement process, along with the manpower, detention space, and court time that often come with removals.
There is also a legal difference for migrants who will opt to self-deport. People who are forcibly deported can face a permanent bar on returning. At the same time, those who voluntarily leave may still have a path to return someday through legal channels, depending on their circumstances and eligibility.
To make the process easier, DHS is directing migrants to use Customs and Border Protection’s CBP Home app, the government portal for registering voluntary departures. The department says tens of thousands have used the app, and it has promoted the program as a streamlined way to arrange travel and document a departure.
Noem’s holiday offer comes as DHS claims a massive number of people have left the country this year. Officials estimate that about 1.9 million undocumented immigrants have departed in 2025, though the figure is difficult to independently verify because many people leave without government involvement.
The right-leaning Center for Immigration Studies estimated a decline of 2.2 million foreign-born people during the first six months of the year, based on Census survey projections, describing it as the largest one-year drop in decades.
The offer expiring before the year’s end, shows the urgency the administration has to ramp up deportations.
Immigration has been one of Trump’s biggest priorities, and there is no doubt that there is pressure on Noem and her team to deliver. ICE has been at the center of controversy for its tactics in chasing down migrants, with US citizens frequently being caught in the crossfire.
The American public also has mixed feelings when it comes to non-criminal migrants being deported, with anxiety about how it will affect the economy.
