The federal government announced a temporary $3,000 “Holiday Stipend” to encourage illegal aliens to voluntarily leave the country during the Christmas season, framing the incentive as a cost-effective alternative to traditional enforcement and deportation efforts.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the program, which runs through the end of the year, is designed to reduce enforcement costs while accelerating departures amid heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. According to Noem, the stipend is significantly cheaper than locating, detaining, and deporting migrants through conventional means.
“During the Christmas Season, the U.S. taxpayer is so generously tripling the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally — offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year,” Noem said. She warned that migrants who do not take advantage of the offer would face arrest and removal and would be barred from returning to the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security said voluntary departures are being facilitated through the CBP Home app, which allows migrants to register their intent to leave. DHS said it arranges and pays for return travel as part of the process. The agency claimed that since January 2025, 1.9 million people have voluntarily self-deported and that tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program, though it has yer to be confirmed by independent data.
The administration’s announcement comes as many migrants face increasing economic pressure, including job losses and housing instability, as immigration enforcement intensifies. Officials argue that encouraging voluntary departures eases pressure on federal resources and local communities.
In recent months, thousands of Haitian and other migrants have crossed from the United States into Canada. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, asylum claims processed through November declined 42% compared with the same period last year, totaling 31,977 claims.
Individual cases have also drawn attention. In December, KOLD.com reported on a Colombian family that chose to leave the United States after the father was deported from Tucson, Arizona. The mother, Yarlidis Goez-Santos, said self-deportation was the best option for her family and expressed gratitude to those they met during their time in the country.
Supporters of the administration’s approach argue that reducing the number of economic migrants will benefit American workers by easing competition for jobs and housing, while critics insist on an inconsequential or net negative economic impact.
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