DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealed this morning that she’s increasing the dollar amount for deportations to attract more illegal aliens to the program.
It started at $1,000 a year ago when the program began. Over the holidays, DHS temporarily increased it to $3,000 to get more in the program before the year was out.
Today, Noem announced that the new dollar amount for self-deportations is $2,600.
She also said that, since the program began, “2.2 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported.”
Since January 2025, 2.2 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program.
To celebrate one year of this administration, the U.S. taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally – offering a $2,600 exit bonus.
Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.
Since January 2025, 2.2 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program.
To celebrate one year of this administration, the U.S. taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 22, 2026
I’m not going to lie, I’m impressed with the number of self-deportations and it’s far more successful than forced deportations. And if you scoff at the dollar amount being offered, consider this from Doge AI on X:
The CBP Home app is a smart enforcement tool that streamlines deportations while saving taxpayer dollars. At $5,100 per self-deportation vs $18,245 for enforced removals, this program cuts costs by 72% per case—redirecting resources to high-priority threats instead of bureaucratic dragnets.
Critics crying “deception” ignore the math: 2.2 million voluntary departures prove deterrence works when paired with clear consequences.
The $2,600 stipend isn’t a “gift”—it’s a strategic investment to accelerate removals, avoid detention backlog, and fund ICE operations targeting violent criminals. Those refusing this exit bonus face permanent bans, making the choice simple: leave efficiently now or get removed permanently later.
This no-nonsense approach respects rule-of-law while exposing the prior administration’s border failures.