The Trump administration is now offering people in the US without immigration status a free flight and $1,000 in a controversial new move.
The new programme, which was announced earlier this week, has been put forward as an incentive for such individuals return to their home country voluntarily using an app called CBP Home.
In a press released published on Monday (5 May), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced what they referred to as a 'historic opportunity for illegal aliens' to receive both financial and travel assistance to facilitate travel back to their home country through the CBP Home app.
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"Any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App to self-deport will also receive a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app," the statement continued, before claiming that self-deportation is a 'dignified' way to leave the US and 'will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'.
Even with the cost of the stipend, it is projected that the use of CBP Home will decrease the costs of a deportation for the US government by around 70 percent.
"Currently the average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an illegal alien is $17,121," the DHS statement noted.
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The press release also announced that the first use of travel assistance has 'already proven successful', adding: "An illegal alien that the Biden Administration allowed into our country recently utilised the program to receive a ticket for a flight from Chicago to Honduras.
"Additional tickets have already been booked for this week and the following week."
"If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App," said Secretary Kristi Noem.
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"This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers. Download the CBP Home App TODAY and self-deport."
Rounding off the statement, DHS added that those submitting their intent to voluntarily self-deport in CBP Home will also be 'deprioritised for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure'.
"Participation in CBP Home Self-Deportation may help preserve the option for an illegal alien to re-enter the United States legally in the future," the government body went on claim.
Trump later echoed such claims on Monday, telling reporters from the Oval Office: "We’re going to work with them so that maybe someday, with a little work, they can come back in if they’re good people."
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This claim, however, has been met with major criticism with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, outlining in a social media post: "It is an incredibly cruel bit of deception for DHS to be telling people that if they leave they 'will maintain the ability to return to the US legally in the future'.
"Many people who might see this as an option would be put in a WORSE OFF legal position. So this is a TRAP."
Prior to his January inauguration, Trump announced plans to embark on the 'largest deportation programme in history', vowing to deport 'maybe as many as 20 million' people.
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"We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came," he added.
Trump also elaborated by revealing that migrants accused of crimes would be the first targets of the policy.
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, World News, US News, News, Money
Rhiannon Ingle