The Trump administration will offer a US$1,000 stipend and travel help to migrants who elect to voluntarily โself deportโ from the US, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Monday.
The stipend and potential airfare for migrants who voluntarily depart would cost less than an actual deportation, the agency said. The average cost of arresting, detaining and deporting someone without legal status is currently about US$17,000, according to DHS.
โIf you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,โ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
In March, the administration launched a rebranded app called CBP Home to ease self-deportation. The app, previously called CBP One, was used by the Biden administration to allow migrants to enter the US legally. Trump previewed the stipend plan in April, saying the US would consider allowing migrants to return.