DHS Self-Deportation Promise under Scrutiny: Is the $1,000 Real?

(UNITED STATES) The Department of Homeland Security’s new self-deportation offer—a free one-way flight, $1,000 “exit stipend,” and forgiveness of civil fines—has moved from pilot to centerpiece under “Project Homecoming,” a flagship initiative of President Trump’s second-term immigration agenda. Rolled out nationwide in early 2025 and pushed through the new CBP Home mobile app, the program promises quick coordination for people who register to leave the United States 🇺🇸 on their own.

But nine months in, immigration attorneys, researchers, and community advocates are raising sharp legal and practical questions about whether the cash payment is real and whether participants can rely on the government’s terms once they depart.

DHS claims, enforcement tools, and outreach

DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, says the plan is working at scale. In public remarks, Noem has claimed that 1.6 million undocumented immigrants have departed in the first 200 days of Project Homecoming, though those figures have not been independently verified.

At the same time, officials acknowledge the enforcement side is hard-edged:

• People who do not engage with the app or arrange departure face civil fines up to $998 per day, along with possible lawsuits, arrest, and removal.
• ICE has issued nearly 10,000 fine notices since the program’s midyear escalation, according to DHS figures cited in administration briefings.

The administration has poured more than $200 million into multilingual ads at home and abroad to promote the offer and warn of penalties for those who ignore it. Outreach includes smartphone banners, radio spots, and consular-area posters pointing migrants to the CBP Home app, where they can submit basic biographic details, upload a photo, and file an “Intent to Depart.”

DHS says those who register and show progress toward a flight date are deprioritized for detention while arrangements are made. The department also claims the system cuts costs substantially—asserting a 70% reduction in per-person removal expenses compared with traditional enforcement.

The contested $1,000 stipend

The most controversial piece is the $1,000 stipend. DHS officials describe it as a post-departure payment—released after the traveler’s exit is verified through the app and airline records—and say unpaid civil fines for failure to depart will be forgiven for those who leave under the program.

Legal and advocacy concerns include:

• Immigration lawyers say they see no clear legal authority for a direct cash payment to undocumented individuals and warn there is no guaranteed mechanism to ensure money is delivered once someone has left U.S. jurisdiction.
• The administration says it repurposed $250 million from refugee assistance accounts to fund the offer; attorneys respond that Congress did not authorize a benefit of this kind and predict court challenges.
• Several advocacy groups and bar associations have labeled the stipend a bait-and-switch, arguing the ads push a benefit that may not exist in law and that DHS could process a departure, close the case, and refuse the payment afterward.

Critics also emphasize the psychological effect of the campaign, calling it pressure designed to scare people into leaving. The Marshall Project and the Migration Policy Institute note a gap between DHS’s promises and how immigration law actually operates, observing that technical rules often limit what agencies can deliver outside clear statutory programs.

What people are asking and the litigation risk

VisaVerge.com reports legal clinics across multiple cities have been flooded by families asking whether they should take the deal before fines stack up. Common questions include:

• Whether self-deportation through the app will preserve a path back to the U.S.
• Whether stipend promises are enforceable
• How departure affects future visa or waiver applications

DHS officials have suggested people who leave under Project Homecoming could be viewed more favorably in future visa or waiver applications because they departed on their own. Attorneys caution that:

• Any chance of legal reentry depends on complex bars and waivers, and on future policy under either President Trump or a successor.
• For many with prior removal orders or prior unlawful presence, no clean “return” option exists without a hard-to-get waiver.

Advocacy groups and the American Immigration Lawyers Association advise people not to rely on the stipend promise and to seek independent legal advice before using the app. Legal aid groups add that once someone leaves, it can be hard or impossible to challenge what happened or pursue an unpaid benefit in U.S. courts.

How the process works and what’s at stake

DHS describes a straightforward sequence:

1. Download the CBP Home app.
2. Register with personal details and a photo.
3. Submit an Intent to Depart.
4. Receive a DHS contact to coordinate a free one-way flight.
5. If needed, provide extra biographic information through the applicant’s USCIS online account.
6. After exit is confirmed, DHS states the $1,000 is released and civil fines are forgiven for those who complete the process.

The app experience is marketed as multilingual, with clear timelines.

In practice, attorneys warn participants still face real risks:

• Nonpayment and future immigration hurdles remain possible despite DHS assurances.
• Adults who entered without inspection years ago may trigger long reentry bars based on unlawful presence; future visas could require discretionary waivers that are difficult to obtain.
• For people with prior removal orders, leaving may solidify a multi-year bar or make them ineligible for certain relief.
• Documentation can be a barrier—passports, birth records, or consular access may be lacking. While DHS says it will help coordinate with consulates, lawyers recommend confirming travel documents before committing to a departure date.

Practical preparations lawyers recommend:

• Document all communications with DHS, including stipend and fine-forgiveness promises, and save screenshots from the app.
• Confirm travel documents with your consulate early and keep copies of everything sent to DHS.
• Think through schooling, medical routines, property transfers, records, medications, and money transfers before you fly.

Enforcement pressure, politics, and historical context

The fines—up to $998 per day—loom large. DHS says penalties target those who defy removal orders or ignore outreach and that the agency prefers voluntary compliance through the app. Still, notices can be jarring: reports describe totals reaching over $1.8 million in extreme cases for long-term noncompliance. The department argues this pressure is needed to prevent people from waiting out the system; advocates say such fines create fear and confusion and may push people with valid claims out of the process.

Project Homecoming is politically charged:

• Supporters inside the administration call it humane and cost-saving, giving people control over travel timing while protecting them from detention if they follow the steps.
• Some Republican lawmakers praise the fines as the necessary “stick” paired with the “carrot” of a paid ticket and stipend.
• Opponents argue the program is short on legal footing and heavy on pressure. Democrats and immigrant-rights advocates say the administration is promising benefits it cannot legally guarantee, potentially harming families and exposing taxpayers to lawsuits.
• Researchers at the Migration Policy Institute describe the campaign as “unprecedented” in scale and design and say outcomes will likely hinge on court challenges and whether the government can sustain both the financial incentives and enforcement tempo.

There is precedent to note: a smaller voluntary departure campaign in 2008 drew minimal uptake because of mistrust and lack of clear benefits. The 2025 version is far more aggressive—bigger advertising, harsher fines, and a digital platform centralizing the process. Whether these differences produce lasting results remains unknown, and DHS’s departure numbers are disputed because it’s difficult to separate those who would have left anyway from those motivated by the app.

Practical checklist for individuals considering the program

• Get independent legal advice before tapping “Intent to Depart,” especially if you have an old removal order, criminal history, or prior immigration filings.
• Confirm travel documents with your consulate early.
• Keep copies and screenshots of everything you send DHS and ask DHS to put stipend and fine-forgiveness terms in writing.
• Think through family, schooling, and property arrangements. Prepare records, medications, and money-transfer plans before you fly.
• If you choose not to participate, be aware of the escalating daily fines and potential aggressive enforcement.

Important takeaway: Attorneys expect lawsuits over the stipend’s legality and the use of fines, which could force changes. For now, Project Homecoming’s mix of promise and pressure leaves families weighing a difficult choice: accept a fast exit with uncertain benefits, or remain and face fines, detention risk, and a longer fight in the system.

DHS directs users to the official CBP Home page for information and app links: https://www.dhs.gov/cbphome. The department says it will continue multilingual outreach while stepping up penalties for those who ignore removal orders. Attorneys anticipate litigation that may alter implementation or funding, but for now the program continues to generate debate and uncertainty for affected families.