Overview
- Internal DHS data show roughly 132,000 people have already left the U.S. through Project Homecoming and about 70,000 more are signed up, putting the initiative on track for over 200,000 departures.
- Case managers were placed into about 40 ICE detention sites after an internal push to shorten detention, and roughly half of participants exited while in custody; detainees who opt in now average 17 days in detention versus a typical 50 days.
- DHS says each voluntary departure costs about $2,500 plus the stipend paid to the participant, which was raised from $1,000 to $2,600 after a brief $3,000 increase at Christmas, and the agency argues the program saves money compared with forcible removals.
- The program is run by a private contractor and grew rapidly after White House pressure to scale removals, prompting critics to raise concerns about transparency, oversight, and the sidelining of international resettlement groups.
- Nearly $600 million has been spent under the current contract and funding is expected to run out by the end of August, creating near-term uncertainty about continuity, new bids, and how operations will be monitored going forward.