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DHS Triples Self-Deportation Stipend to $3,000 Through Dec. 31

Officials present the CBP Home offer as a cheaper path with paid flights plus potential fine waivers.

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(Shutterstock)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 27: Ecuadorian mothers Andrea, 28, (L) and her cousin Jennyfer nervously prepare to board their flight to Ecuador from JFK International Airport on October 27, 2025 in New York, New York. They had decided to "self deport" after their husbands were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and later deported to Ecuador due to their undocumented status. The mothers, unable to work and care for their children without spousal support, chose to return to Ecuador with the help of the aid group Danbury Unites, whose donors purchased their air tickets to Quito and volunteers assisted with the logistics of moving. Andrea said she chose not to use the Trump Administration's app CBP Home, fearing that by sharing personal information with ICE, she could be permanently separated from her two children during the "self deportation" process. Andrea's youngest daughter Shanell, 7 months, was born in the United States and is a U.S. citizen. Like other small immigrant community aid organizations around the United States, Danbury Unites' Post-Disappearance Support Group strives to provide such vulnerable families whose loved ones have been detained with a modicum of safety while offering both emotional and tangible support by connecting immigrants to resources, regardless of whether they decide to stay in the U.S. or leave. Such groups have provided a humanitarian lifeline to many immigrant communities currently living in fear across the United States, as ICE expands its operations with the express mandate of mass deportations.

Overview

  • The limited “home for the holidays” campaign offers $3,000 to eligible people who self‑deport via the CBP Home app by Dec. 31, with payment issued after return is verified.
  • DHS says it will cover airfare and may waive certain civil fines for participants, while warning that those forcibly deported will face bars on returning.
  • The CBP Home app collects personal information and departure confirmation to arrange travel and process the stipend as part of a step‑by‑step workflow.
  • DHS cites roughly 1.9 million voluntary departures in 2025 and “tens of thousands” using the app, though the department has not provided detailed public counts.
  • Lawyers and migrants report delayed or missing payments and caution that self‑deportation can trigger multi‑year reentry bans even as the administration touts cost savings over the roughly $17,000 average for arrest, detention and removal.