US DHS offers free flights and USD 2,600 to illegal immigrants, including Indians, under Project Homecoming. Photo: DHS.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced free flights and an exit bonus of USD 2,600 for illegal immigrants, including those from India, who choose to return to their home countries.
In a social media post promoting the initiative, the department used images of the Taj Mahal along with prominent landmarks from Colombia and China.
The initiative, called Project Homecoming, began in May last year after the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term.
As part of the campaign, DHS shared a post on X encouraging migrants to leave voluntarily through the official process.
“You can go home with a fresh start! Receive a FREE flight home and a USD 2,600 exit bonus when you use CBP Home to self-deport,” DHS said in the post.
The department has asked migrants to use the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app to begin the process. Through the app, migrants can register their intention to leave, submit their details, and receive information about travel assistance and the financial support available under the scheme.
According to DHS, more than 2.2 million illegal immigrants have used the programme since it began in January 2025.
Under the scheme, migrants who choose to leave voluntarily can return to their home countries with government assistance rather than face forced deportation.
According to the programme website, the scheme allows migrants to “return home as regular travellers without arrest, detention, or restraints. It’s a safe, orderly alternative that provides assistance and flexibility, not fear”.
DHS said the current cost of forcibly deporting one person stands at USD 18,245.
By contrast, the department said that providing a USD 2,600 payment under the voluntary departure programme reduces the cost of one self-deportation through the CBP Home app to about USD 5,100. According to DHS, this results in savings of more than USD 13,000 per person for taxpayers.
Exit Payment Revised Multiple Times
When the scheme was first introduced in May last year, DHS offered a USD 1,000 exit payment.
The amount was later increased to USD 3,000 in December for migrants who chose to leave before the new year.
The payment was then revised again and set at USD 2,600 in January this year.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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