Illegal Immigrants Offered Free Travel, $1,000, and Fine Forgiveness if They Voluntarily Leave Through DHS App

Illegal immigrants who choose to leave the United States voluntarily through a federal mobile app will have thousands in daily fines waived and receive financial assistance for their departure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday. The new policy aims to encourage self-deportation by providing incentives and simplifying the process through updates to the CBP Home App.

Under the program, individuals in the U.S. unlawfully who have received final orders of removal or who missed voluntary departure deadlines can avoid accumulating fines—previously up to $1,000 per day—by self-deporting via the app. DHS reports it has already issued more than 9,000 fine notices totaling nearly $3 billion. By using the app to facilitate their return home, eligible individuals will also receive a complimentary flight and a $1,000 stipend upon verified departure.

DHS has made recent updates to the CBP Home App, aiming to make the self-deportation process more accessible by reducing procedural steps. Available for free on Apple and Android devices, the app now allows illegal immigrants to manage their departure without needing to engage directly with immigration enforcement officers, streamlining a process that DHS describes as the “safest and most cost-efficient” way to leave the U.S.

The agency stressed that individuals who fail to depart voluntarily may face arrest, mandatory deportation, and permanent bans on reentry into the country. Those who leave under the new program may preserve a future opportunity to return legally. DHS officials are urging those in the country without authorization to consider the offer and take advantage of the new app-based departure process.

Article by multiple contributors, based upon information from a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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