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International News | May 7, 2025
The United States government has introduced a controversial initiative offering undocumented migrants $1,000 along with a free plane ticket to voluntarily leave the country.
Announcing the program on Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the voluntary departure scheme as “the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective way for individuals without legal status to exit the U.S. without risking arrest.”
President Donald Trump, addressing reporters, said migrants who opt for this pathway may be considered for legal re-entry in the future under specific programs.
The initiative is part of the administration’s intensified immigration crackdown since Trump’s return to office in January. Several measures under this policy shift have sparked legal challenges, including the use of historical wartime statutes to enforce immigration laws.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), individuals who voluntarily enroll in the program will not be prioritized for detention or arrest by immigration enforcement agencies. Officials confirmed that the first migrant under the scheme, a Honduran national, departed from Chicago to Honduras earlier this week.
DHS explained that participants must use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app to verify their departure and destination. The department framed the initiative as a “dignified departure option” while noting significant savings for taxpayers—the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting a migrant exceeds $17,000.
However, critics have pushed back. Representative Adriano Espaillat, a Dominican-American Democrat, expressed opposition on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “We don’t bribe people to leave. We build a country where everyone belongs.”
Despite criticism, administration officials point to declining unauthorized border crossings as evidence of their policy’s effectiveness. U.S. Border Patrol reported just over 7,000 apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border in March—a record low.
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