WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday announced a special $3,000-a-pop “home for the holidays” incentive for illegal migrants to self-deport by Dec. 31.
“This Christmas season, the U.S. taxpayer is generously TRIPLING the incentive for illegal aliens to leave voluntarily,” the DHS secretary tweeted.
“Through the end of the year, illegal aliens who self-deport using the CBP Home App can receive a $3,000 exit bonus.”
Noem, appearing earlier on Fox News, urged migrants living in the US without legal permission to use the CBP Home app to take advantage of the offer, which also includes a free one-way flight.
“Well, it’s home for the holidays season!” Noem said.
“If you voluntarily want to go home now to your country … we will give you $3,000 through the holidays to send you home, we’ll buy you a ticket, give you $3,000 to go home,” she said.
“We’ll make sure you get home in time for Christmas.”
The Department of Homeland Security began offering a $1,000 bonus and free travel for CBP Home users in May — reasoning that it was cheaper than the average cost of $17,121 to arrest, detain and deport illegal migrants.
Authorities say takers may be able to return to the US legally, while asserting that those who are involuntarily deported won’t be eligible to do so.
It’s unclear precisely how many people have taken the previous lower-dollar offer.
DHS said Monday that “tens of thousands” have done so but did not give an exact number.
The move comes as President Trump’s administration pursues a mass deportation that he promised as a candidate in last year’s election.
Trump has blamed a massive influx of asylum seekers and illegal border-crossers under the Biden administration for causing rent prices to spike and has pointed to rising blue-collar wages as evidence that his deportation efforts are working.
The Trump administration generally highlights the deportation arrests of illegal migrants who have criminal histories, while critics point to cases where the subjects didn’t have criminal convictions.
DHS data indicate that many migrants are leaving voluntarily without taking the government’s financial assistance, citing a figure of 1.9 million people who have ” voluntarily self-deported” this year.
