The voluntary deportation program launched under former President Donald Trump, called 'Project Homecoming', has enabled over 200,000 migrants to leave the US. According to internal data from the Department of Homeland Security, 132,000 people have left the US under the program, and 70,000 more have registered and are awaiting departure.
Launched last year, the program offered illegal immigrants free plane tickets and a cash payment after leaving the country. The payment, initially $1,000, was later increased to $2,600, and temporarily to $3,000 around Christmas. The program's total cost has reached approximately $600 million.
The cost per voluntary deportation is calculated at around $2,500, while a forced deportation costs $18,245. The Department of Homeland Security announced that the program is expected to save approximately $2.5 billion in deportation costs.
About half of the cases under the program involve migrants held in detention centers. The process accelerated after the DOGE unit integrated Project Homecoming into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. Program coordinators are now working at 40 detention centers.
In its first six months, the program attracted only 24,000 migrants, but it gained momentum under pressure from the White House. A source said, 'There were daily calls from the White House and weekly high-level meetings with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. They expected us to send several thousand people a day, but we could only send dozens.'
Former advisor Todd Bensman said, 'In the initial phase, the administration had serious space constraints at detention centers. Mass deportation isn't possible without enough space. These are directly connected.'
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said, 'Under President Trump, the great success of Project Homecoming made the CBP Home app much more effective than expected and attracted more participants.' A representative of contractor Salus said they were 'proud to provide humane and dignified support.'
The program's current government contract ends at the end of August, and the department is seeking a new contractor. Officials did not answer whether there will be cuts to the program next month.
Critics, however, argue that the voluntary deportation program should be handed over to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM sought to join the project last March but is not currently involved. A source familiar with the program said, 'At one point, the whole program became just a scheme of buying plane tickets,' adding that IOM could provide more serious support to migrants after they leave the country.
