Trump administration offers to pay $1,000 & one-way plane ticket to undocumented migrants who voluntarily leave to their home countries

The Department of Homeland Security said today it would pay undocumented migrants who leave the United States and return to their home country.

President Donald Trump has vowed to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the US, and the offer announced by DHS could incentivize people to leave the country voluntarily and supplement the number of migrants who are forcibly removed from the country. 

In addition to “both financial and travel assistance to facilitate,” self-deportation, which a DHS spokesperson said included a complimentary one-way departure ticket, the agency said it would also pay an additional $1,000 to people who verify they have returned to their home country. Migrants can verify their departure from the US using the CBP Home App, the agency said. 

DHS added that those who participate in this process will be deprioritized for targeting by immigration officials for detention and removal from the country, and that it “may” preserve the option for migrants to re-enter the US legally in the future. 

At least one immigrant has already used the offer to return to Honduras, the agency said, adding that several other plane tickets were booked for this week and next week.