Wafric News – May 6, 2025

Washington, D.C. — In a controversial new move, the U.S. government under President Donald Trump is now offering undocumented migrants $1,000 and paid airfare to leave the country “voluntarily,” a program officials are calling “self-deportation.”

The initiative, announced Monday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is part of Trump’s wider crackdown on immigration since returning to office in January. Framing it as the “safest and most cost-effective” solution for those living in the U.S. without legal status, officials say those who accept the payout will avoid the risk of arrest and detention.

President Trump added that migrants who leave under the program could potentially be offered a legal route back to the U.S. in the future — but only if they are deemed “the kind of people that we want in our country.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already processed its first case under the scheme: a Honduran national was flown out of Chicago this week using the newly announced incentive. Officials say the process is managed through the CBP Home app, a digital platform that helps verify returns.

DHS defended the program, describing it as a more "dignified" and efficient alternative to forced deportation. According to government estimates, traditional deportations cost taxpayers upwards of $17,000 per individual — a figure the administration claims will be significantly reduced with this new offer.

But critics see it differently.

While the administration touts a significant drop in illegal border crossings — just over 7,000 arrests were recorded at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the lowest in recent memory — questions remain over the long-term implications of the policy. Critics argue that it sets a troubling precedent and fails to address the root causes of migration, particularly from the Global South.

Despite aggressive interior enforcement, deportation numbers have not yet met campaign promises. Legal hurdles have also stalled Trump’s attempts to revoke birthright citizenship, a constitutional guarantee for children born on U.S. soil.

For migrants, particularly those from Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, this latest offer presents a stark choice: accept a payout and leave quietly — or risk arrest under an administration that has made clear its hardline stance on immigration.

As global attention turns to the U.S.’s shifting immigration landscape, human rights advocates are calling for deeper scrutiny of a system that increasingly relies on fear, financial pressure, and legal grey zones to reshape who belongs in America.


By WafricNews Desk.