U.S. proposes financial incentive of $1,000 to motivate immigrants to voluntarily return to their homeland.
Heads up, folks! The Trump administration's got a sweet deal for migrants who fancy a one-way ticket back home. If you're undocumented and keen to dip, you'll be handed a cool $1,000 and travel expenses to jet off to your homeland, all on Uncle Sam's dime.
That's right, this voluntary "self-deportation" business will cost less than an old-fashioned deportation, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). You see, it sets you back about $17,000 to arrest, lock up, and kick out someone without legal status. But with this new scheme, the government's hoping to cut those costs by around 70%.
Now, President Donny boy took office promising to deport millions, but he's trailed Joe Biden so far. With the Dems in charge, they faced a tidal wave of illegal immigration, quickly returning many caught crossing the border.
Since Inauguration Day in January 2020, a mere 152,000 folks have been shooed away, less than the 195,000 sent packing under Biden from February to April 2020.
To persuade migrants to jump ship, the Trump administration's played some hardball. They've threatened hefty penalties, tried to yank away legal status, and booted people to notorious prisons in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explains, "If you're here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to dodge the cops and split without taking the long walk."
Back in March, they unveiled a fancy new app dubbed CBP Home to make self-deportation a breeze. Before, this app, then known as CBP One, was used by the Biden crew to let migrants enter the U.S. legally.
Donny teased the cash-for-exit scheme back in April, saying, "If they're good, and we want 'em back in, we'll help 'em come back as quick as a wink."
In the latest announcement, DHS lets us know that those who take the bait might snag a future shot at legally re-entering the U.S., but they're hush-hush on specifics. There's no mention of a particular path or program.
- The Trump administration's voluntary self-deportation program, which offers undocumented immigrants $1,000 and travel expenses to leave the country, is projected to reduce costs compared to traditional deportation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
- President Donald Trump, in his effort to deport millions, has trailed President Joe Biden in terms of actual deportations, with only 152,000 individuals being deported since his inauguration in January 2020.
- To encourage self-deportation, the Trump administration has resorted to threats of penalties, attempts to revoke legal status, and relocations to controversial prisons such as Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and prisons in El Salvador.
- Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has emphasized that self-deportation is the safest and most cost-effective way for individuals who are in the country illegally to evade authorities and leave voluntarily.
- In an effort to streamline the self-deportation process, the Trump administration has developed an app called CBP Home, which was previously used by the Biden administration to allow migrants to enter the U.S. legally. The details regarding a potential future pathway for those who choose self-deportation remain vague.
