Who Chooses to Leave? Exploring U.S. Immigrant Departure Incentives

(UNITED STATES) The federal government is offering cash and travel to some undocumented immigrants who agree to leave the country on their own, a strategy officials say aims to reduce detention and speed departures. The initiative, known as Project Homecoming, began in May 2025 and provides a $1,000 exit bonus, free airline tickets, and forgiveness of certain fines for those who complete a government-managed voluntary departure through a mobile app. Advocates, attorneys, and families are weighing the promise of a smoother exit against the steep legal costs that come with leaving the United States after years without status.

Under the plan, people without legal status can use the CBP Home Mobile App to signal that they want to depart. The government then arranges travel and confirms when the person has left. After verified departure, the traveler is supposed to receive the $1,000 payment.

According to officials, the program is open to a wide group of undocumented immigrants, including people whose past legal status has been revoked. As of April 2025, more than 5,000 people had logged their return through the app, though nationwide totals are not publicly available.

Legal groups warn that the central pitch—that leaving now might make a future lawful return easier—does not match the law in most cases. People who accrued unlawful presence in the United States often face 3‑ or 10‑year reentry bans, depending on how long they stayed without valid status. Those bars, set by immigration law, usually apply even if a person leaves voluntarily.

For official background on voluntary departure and its limits, including who may qualify and the difference between leaving on your own versus after a removal order, see the government fact sheet here: Department of Justice: Voluntary Departure.

Policy Details and How It Works

Project Homecoming runs through the CBP Home Mobile App, where applicants register their plan to leave and await travel arrangements. After departure is confirmed, the program issues the $1,000 stipend and marks certain fines as forgiven. Officials also advertise free flights to help people reach their home countries.

The government has not released a full public dataset on departures or payouts. Attorneys note there is no legal guarantee that everyone who signs up will receive the payment or a safe, well-managed trip.

Key elements, as described by program materials and practitioners tracking early cases:

• Eligibility: Open to undocumented immigrants, including those whose temporary status was canceled or expired.
• Application path: Register intent to depart through the mobile app; the government books travel and finalizes logistics.
• Incentives: $1,000 bonus, airline ticket, and forgiveness of certain fines after verified exit.
• Data so far: More than 5,000 app‑logged returns by April 2025; a complete count across agencies is not available.
• Legal risks: Likely exposure to 3‑ or 10‑year bars tied to unlawful presence; voluntary exit usually does not erase those penalties.
• Uncertainty: No binding assurance that funds will arrive or that travel will be handled safely and on time.

Important: There is no statutory promise that the $1,000 will be issued on time—or at all—and no binding oversight to ensure safe transit or humane treatment at airports.

Household Decisions: Money, Messaging, and Enforcement

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the mix of money, messaging, and stepped‑up enforcement is prompting difficult choices in households with both U.S.-citizen and noncitizen members. Families ask whether taking the incentive now will spare parents from arrest tomorrow—or whether it simply trades one set of risks for another.

Key considerations affecting decisions:
– Potential future penalties (3‑ or 10‑year bars)
– Immediate safety from enforcement or detention
– Economic and social cost of uprooting a life and family
– Uncertainty about whether promised benefits will be delivered

Who Is Leaving — and Who Is Staying

People considering Project Homecoming fall into several groups, each driven by different pressures. Interviews with advocates and summaries of early participants point to five common profiles:

1. People facing quick enforcement
   • Those already in removal proceedings, or who fear detention during an ICE check‑in, at work, or in public.
   • They sign up to avoid a formal deportation order, which can carry harsher penalties.
2. Parents with U.S.-citizen or legally present children
   • One or both parents may exit while children stay to keep schooling and healthcare.
   • Parents weigh the $1,000 and a perceived cleaner exit against long separations and uncertain reunification.
3. People with no legal path left
   • Applicants who tried asylum, cancellation of removal, or adjustment of status—and were denied—may view self‑deportation as the only option left.
4. Those responding to rising penalties
   • Stronger enforcement and higher fines for those who remain push some to leave before arrest.
5. Those hoping for a lawful return later
   • Some believe leaving voluntarily will let them return sooner. Lawyers caution that in most cases the 3‑ or 10‑year bars still apply and future visas are not guaranteed.

At the same time, many undocumented immigrants choose to stay. Reasons include:
– Deep family roots and long work histories
– No safe or viable home to return to
– Care obligations (for example, a child with special needs)
– Economic ties and responsibilities abroad that make departure impractical

Community groups report high levels of fear and confusion, but also strong resolve to stay when leaving would mean danger or extreme hardship.

Legal Confusion and Practical Risks

Advocates emphasize the difference between a government program and an informed legal choice. Voluntary departure is a narrow legal term that usually requires leaving without public funds and within a set timeframe, under conditions set by immigration authorities or a judge.

Project Homecoming uses the phrase voluntary departure but adds incentives not part of the traditional legal tool. This blend can cause confusion; people may think that leaving through the app clears past immigration violations when, in reality, the bars tied to unlawful presence likely remain.

Practical concerns raised by lawyers and service providers:
– No binding guarantee the $1,000 stipend will be paid
– No formal oversight ensuring safe, timely travel
– Risks for people with medical needs or small children if flights are delayed or connections fail
– Possibility of stipend disputes after departure

For context on voluntary departure and penalties, review: Department of Justice: Voluntary Departure.

Long-term Consequences and Community Effects

Voluntary departure can still trigger long separations. Typical reentry consequences:
– 3‑year bar: Applies if unlawfully present for more than 180 days but less than one year.
– 10‑year bar: Applies if unlawfully present for more than one year.

These bars generally apply whether a person leaves under Project Homecoming or after an order of removal. Attorneys urge people to verify their situation with a trusted legal service provider before making an irreversible choice.

Effects observed in communities:
– Some workers leave before scheduled ICE check‑ins.
– Some time departures to let children finish a school year.
– Split families: one parent leaves, the other stays to keep a job and care for children.
– Employers lose trained staff; landlords face vacancies; churches and aid groups step in to fill gaps.

Data Gaps and Policy Questions

The government’s released numbers are limited. The tally of more than 5,000 app‑logged returns by April 2025 is a snapshot, not a full picture.

Missing data include:
– How many departures included the $1,000 incentive versus those without it
– Family-level impacts (how many families split)
– Demographic or country-of-origin breakdowns
– Longitudinal outcomes (did people attempt to return, and with what result)

Without clear data, it is difficult to assess whether Project Homecoming actually reduces detention or simply shifts departures earlier in the enforcement process.

Guidance for Families and Advocates

For people deciding whether to participate, two questions tend to shape the outcome:
1. Will a formal removal order likely happen soon? If yes, some view a voluntary exit as a way to avoid additional penalties.
2. Is there a safe, stable place to land abroad? For many, the answer is no; leaving would mean returning to danger or deep poverty.

Attorneys and community workers recommend plain‑language outreach that clearly states:
– The 3‑ or 10‑year bans likely apply in most cases.
– There is no legal guarantee the $1,000 stipend will be issued.
– Flights may be changed or delayed.
– Some legal options inside the United States may still exist.

Clear rules and transparent data would help families plan rather than guess. Government sources and legal aid groups both agree that confusion helps no one.