On May 5, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an unusual offer: people in the United States without legal status who agreed to leave on their own could get their travel paid for and receive a $1,000 stipend. The process runs through a phone app called CBP Home.
How it works
CBP Home launched in March 2025, replacing an earlier app called CBP One. A person files an “Intent to Depart” in the app, and DHS books the flight. According to the department, the stipend is paid after the person’s return to their home country is confirmed through the app.
DHS said participants would be given lower priority for detention before they leave, and that civil fines for failing to depart would be forgiven. On the day of the announcement, the department said the first participant had already flown from Chicago to Honduras.
Timeline
- March 2025: the CBP Home app launches.
- May 5, 2025: the travel assistance and $1,000 stipend are announced.
- Late 2025: news organizations report that some people who left did not receive the promised help or payment.
- January 21, 2026: DHS raises the stipend to $2,600.
- June 2026: DHS says more than 100,000 people have used the program.
The numbers behind it
DHS has said that an enforced removal costs the government about $17,000 to $18,000, compared with roughly $5,100 for a departure through CBP Home.
What each side said
DHS has described self-departure as the safest and most cost-effective way to leave, and has said it may preserve a person’s chance of returning legally in the future.
Immigrant advocates and some immigration lawyers have raised several concerns: that payments have been late or have not arrived; that leaving the country can trigger bars on returning for three or ten years, depending on how long a person was here without status; that registering in the app amounts to telling the government one is present unlawfully; and that a future legal return is not guaranteed.
What is not clear
Counts of how many people have used the program vary widely between sources, and researchers have questioned a larger DHS figure for total self-departures. We could not confirm whether the $2,600 amount is still being offered today.
Why it matters
Leaving the United States can have lasting legal consequences that depend on a person’s individual history. This is the kind of decision where the specific facts matter a great deal.
Sources
- Department of Homeland Security, May 5, 2025
- Department of Homeland Security, January 21, 2026
- ABC News
This article is a summary of publicly reported events, prepared for general information. It is not legal advice and does not take a position on the matters described. Immigration rules and court rulings change often, and every situation is different. For advice about your own circumstances, please speak with a licensed immigration attorney.
