The US Department of Homeland Security announced that it will pay $1,000 to each illegal immigrant who voluntarily returns to his or her country.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States, and to avoid arrest. The Department of Homeland Security is providing travel assistance and benefits to illegal aliens through the CBP Home application,” US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on May 5.
Illegal immigrants board a deportation flight at Fort Bliss, Texas, January 23. Photo: Reuters
The US Department of Homeland Security said that each illegal immigrant who uses the CBP Home application to notify the government of their repatriation plan will receive $1,000 in support.
President Donald Trump announced last month that the US is willing to give money and plane tickets to immigrants who agree to leave the country under the “self-deportation” program.
The Center for Migration Studies estimated in January that there were 15.4 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Trump has made strict enforcement of immigration laws and mass deportations of illegal immigrants a central focus of his campaign, despite the fact that it is a costly and resource-intensive effort.
The Trump administration is pushing Congress to dramatically increase resources for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which is responsible for deporting illegal immigrants, and to encourage them to self-deport.
