The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has dramatically raised the one-time stipend it pays to undocumented migrants who choose to leave the United States on their own, increasing the amount from US$1,000 to US$3,000. Announced on December 22, 2025, by Secretary Kristi Noem and branded “Home for the Holidays,” the policy also includes a free, DHS-funded one-way ticket to the migrant’s country of citizenship.
Officials framed the move as a fiscal decision: DHS estimates that an involuntary arrest-to-removal operation now averages US$17,000 per person. By contrast, a US$3,000 stipend plus airfare is a fraction of that cost, freeing enforcement resources for higher-priority cases. At a press briefing, Noem said, “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.”
![Homeland Security triples cash incentive for voluntary departures to $3,000]()
The program relies on the recently re-launched CBP Home mobile app (formerly CBP One). Applicants who register through the app, pass a criminal-history check, and schedule departure before December 31 will receive the payment electronically once they scan their boarding pass. DHS says more than 17,000 migrants used the US$1,000 offer between May and November; it hopes the larger sum will accelerate departures before end-of-year metrics are reported to Congress.
For U.S. employers that use E-Verify, the policy could ease Form I-9 risk: once a foreign national is recorded as having departed, any future unauthorized employment will trigger real-time notices. Multinational companies with large frontline workforces—retail, agriculture, construction—should brief HR teams on how to respond to sudden workforce gaps and ensure continued compliance with anti-discrimination rules.
Immigration advocates argue that the policy pressures immigrants into hasty decisions without legal counsel, while restrictionist groups say it does not replace large-scale removals promised on the campaign trail. Legal challenges are expected, but because the stipend is discretionary—and migrants must voluntarily opt-in—analysts believe the program will likely survive in court. Businesses, especially those in seasonal industries, should monitor whether a rapid uptick in voluntary departures exacerbates already tight labor markets in early 2026.
Officials framed the move as a fiscal decision: DHS estimates that an involuntary arrest-to-removal operation now averages US$17,000 per person. By contrast, a US$3,000 stipend plus airfare is a fraction of that cost, freeing enforcement resources for higher-priority cases. At a press briefing, Noem said, “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.”
The program relies on the recently re-launched CBP Home mobile app (formerly CBP One). Applicants who register through the app, pass a criminal-history check, and schedule departure before December 31 will receive the payment electronically once they scan their boarding pass. DHS says more than 17,000 migrants used the US$1,000 offer between May and November; it hopes the larger sum will accelerate departures before end-of-year metrics are reported to Congress.
For U.S. employers that use E-Verify, the policy could ease Form I-9 risk: once a foreign national is recorded as having departed, any future unauthorized employment will trigger real-time notices. Multinational companies with large frontline workforces—retail, agriculture, construction—should brief HR teams on how to respond to sudden workforce gaps and ensure continued compliance with anti-discrimination rules.
Immigration advocates argue that the policy pressures immigrants into hasty decisions without legal counsel, while restrictionist groups say it does not replace large-scale removals promised on the campaign trail. Legal challenges are expected, but because the stipend is discretionary—and migrants must voluntarily opt-in—analysts believe the program will likely survive in court. Businesses, especially those in seasonal industries, should monitor whether a rapid uptick in voluntary departures exacerbates already tight labor markets in early 2026.
Source: Reuters
