WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The Department of Homeland Security on Monday announced that approximately 1.6 million people who were living in the U.S. without legal status have voluntarily departed the country, and an additional 500,000 people have been formally removed.
The department has launched a campaign encouraging undocumented individuals to self-deport. Those who register are offered a cash payment of $1,000 and a plane ticket to return home. It is unclear exactly how many people have taken the offer and how much money has been spent in total.
Donald Trump and his team say the U.S. is on pace to “shatter” previous records for deportations. In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said the agency has been “jump-started” and is moving ahead despite legal challenges and injunctions.
McLaughlin also claimed that migrants are now choosing to turn back before reaching U.S. borders, and that migration through the Darién Gap in Panama is down by 99.99 percent.
The focus on “self-deportation” signals a shift: instead of only relying on formal removals, officials expect many undocumented immigrants to choose departure voluntarily when given financial and logistical incentives. The department says this approach is more efficient and less costly than full enforcement actions.
At the same time, the administration is expanding enforcement capacity. Officials say they are hiring more agents and stepping up arrests and removals of those who do not leave voluntarily.
Immigration advocates argue that the campaign may pressure vulnerable individuals into decisions they do not fully understand. They question whether the incentives and self-departure programs protect due process and whether individuals could later return legally. Some warn that the true cost and outcomes of the voluntary program are still opaque.
