The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched its inaugural charter flight for a voluntary self-deportation program on Monday, marking a new approach to immigration management.
The initiative allows undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries with financial and logistical support, aiming to streamline departures while offering a pathway for potential legal reentry.
Innovative Voluntary Departure Program Takes Flight
Sixty-four individuals from Colombia and Honduras participated in the first flight, which departed from Houston.
According to DHS, the program is distinct from traditional enforcement actions, emphasizing choice and assistance.
“This was a voluntary charter flight, not an [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] enforcement operation,” DHS stated, highlighting the program’s focus on participant agency.
Financial and Logistical Support for Self-Deportation
Under the Trump administration’s initiative, undocumented immigrants can register for self-deportation via the CBP Home App. Participants receive a $1,000 stipend, travel assistance, and three weeks to arrange their affairs.
DHS noted that these benefits mirror those offered to any individual opting for self-deportation through the app, with the added incentive of preserving eligibility for future legal reentry to the U.S.
In Honduras, returnees are also eligible for additional support, including $100 in government assistance and food vouchers, to aid their reintegration.
The program, first announced in March, builds on earlier efforts where the administration covered commercial flight costs for some self-deportees, with Monday’s flight marking the first chartered operation.
Legal and Policy Shifts Impacting Migrant Protections
On the same day, the Supreme Court issued a ruling permitting the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, a protection initially granted in 2021 under President Biden due to unsafe conditions in Venezuela.
The decision lifts a lower court’s block, allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to include these migrants in broader deportation efforts.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the voluntary program’s benefits, stating to Axios:
“If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. . . . Self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.”
DHS emphasized that participants “chose to return home the right way,” framing the program as a structured, incentivized option for undocumented immigrants.
