The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has increased the financial incentive for undocumented migrants who voluntarily leave the country, raising the so-called “exit bonus” from $1,000 to $3,000 under its self-deportation programme.

Under the revised policy, migrants who register with the U.S. government and depart the country by December 31, 2025, will qualify for the payment.

DHS said eligible participants will also receive free airfare to their home countries and have certain civil fines or penalties related to unlawful presence waived, provided they use the CBP Home mobile application to facilitate their departure.

The CBP Home app, a rebranded version of the Biden-era CBP One platform, is now being deployed under the Trump administration to manage voluntary exits. Migrants are required to signal their intent to leave through the app, after which DHS officials verify eligibility and arrange travel. The $3,000 stipend is paid once the government confirms the individual has exited the United States.

In a statement to CBS News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned that undocumented migrants who fail to take advantage of the temporary incentive would be located, arrested and barred from re-entering the U.S.

Originally designed to schedule asylum appointments, the CBP One app has been repurposed as part of the administration’s broader immigration crackdown. It now functions within a voluntary departure framework, allowing migrants without legal status to report, schedule and track their exit from the country.

DHS said the increased incentive forms part of a holiday-season campaign aimed at accelerating removals while reducing enforcement costs. According to the agency, facilitating voluntary departures is significantly cheaper than traditional enforcement. As of May 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) estimated the average cost of arresting, detaining and deporting an undocumented migrant at about $17,000.

Under the programme, participants are deprioritised for ICE arrest and detention as long as they demonstrate “meaningful progress” toward leaving the country.

However, DHS has not provided detailed guidance on the duration of that protection or how compliance is assessed.

While arrests by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection remain central to the administration’s immigration strategy, President Donald Trump has also promoted policies encouraging families and unaccompanied minors who entered the U.S. unlawfully to self-deport.

In October, the government announced plans to offer undocumented migrant teenagers a $2,500 stipend to voluntarily return to their home countries, CBS News previously reported.

DHS claims that since January 2025, approximately 1.9 million undocumented migrants have voluntarily left the United States, with “tens of thousands” using the CBP Home programme. Those figures have not been independently verified, and DHS has not released detailed data showing how many migrants received government-funded travel or stipends.

Previously obtained internal government data showed that during the first six months of President Trump’s second term, nearly 150,000 people were deported, while about 13,000 were officially recorded as having self-deported.