The new initiative—called ‘Project Homecoming’—pairs self-deportation incentives with ramped-up enforcement.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced the launch of Project Homecoming, a sweeping federal initiative aimed at accelerating the removal of illegal immigrants from the United States through a combination of enhanced enforcement and government-assisted voluntary departures.
The initiative, laid out in a May 9 proclamation, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bolster its removal operations by hiring or deputizing at least 20,000 additional officers, while offering financial incentives—dubbed an “exit bonus”—to encourage those unlawfully present in the country to leave voluntarily. Illegal immigrants who initiate their own removal using the government’s CBP Home app will be eligible for a $1,000 payment and federally funded travel assistance.
Trump said the program will both preserve taxpayer resources and restore U.S. sovereignty, adding that the continued presence of illegal immigrants burdens schools, hospitals, and law enforcement.
“This deportation bonus will save American taxpayers billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said in a video statement.
“Eventually, when the illegals are gone, it will save us trillions.”
The $1,000 self-deportation incentive was previously announced by DHS, which said use of the CBP Home app could lower the costs of a deportation by around 70 percent compared to traditional enforcement methods.
Trump warned that illegal immigrants who fail to heed his administration’s call to self-deport will face “severe consequences,” including jail time, wage garnishment, the confiscation of savings and personal property, including homes and vehicles, as well as “sudden deportation, in a place and manner solely of our discretion.”
To further encourage self-deportations, Trump said individuals who comply may be eligible to return to the United States through legal channels in the future.
“If you’re really good, we’re going to try and help you get back in,” Trump said.
Shortly after the proclamation’s release, an arm of the United Nations that supports various self-deportation programs around the world confirmed it will assist with self-initiated removals of illegal immigrants in the United States under Trump’s new initiative.
“For decades, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs in more than 100 countries,” the agency said in a statement. “At the request of the U.S. government, IOM is providing AVR to people in the U.S. who register to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.”
By Tom Ozimek
