Trump’s Self-Deportation Program Is Ramping Up. More Than 200,000 Immigrants Could Leave The U.S.

President Donald Trump‘s “self-deportation” initiative has rapidly expanded, with internal government figures showing the program is on track to surpass 200,000 voluntary departures as the administration intensifies its immigration enforcement strategy, according to a new report.

Citing internal Department of Homeland Security data, Axios detailed that approximately 132,000 unauthorized immigrants had already left the United States through the program as of July 16. Another 70,000 people have enrolled and are expected to depart in the coming weeks, putting the total well above 200,000.

The initiative, known as Project Homecoming, was launched last year as part of Trump’s broader goal of removing one million unauthorized immigrants annually. Unlike the administration’s aggressive detention and deportation efforts, the program offers financial incentives for immigrants to leave the country voluntarily rather than face arrest and removal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection.

Initially, participants were promised government-funded transportation and a $1,000 payment after leaving the United States. The stipend has since increased to $2,600, and during last year’s holiday season briefly reached $3,000.

The nearly $600 million program has become one of the administration’s signature immigration policies, pairing financial incentives with a sweeping enforcement campaign designed to encourage immigrants living in the country without authorization to leave on their own.

Border czar Tom Homan said in an interview with The Washington Examiner in May that encouraging self-deportation had been part of the administration’s strategy “from the very beginning.”

Former acting ICE Director Todd Lyons also described the initiative last year as a way for the agency to increase overall deportation numbers. However, DHS has not publicly released official statistics detailing the program’s progress.

According to Axios, Project Homecoming got off to a slow start, helping about 24,000 immigrants leave during its first six months while staff worked through travel documentation and transportation logistics. The pace accelerated after the White House increased pressure on DHS officials to process departures more quickly.

One source familiar with the effort told the outlet that White House officials, including Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, held frequent calls pushing for thousands of departures each day instead of the dozens initially being processed.

A major turning point came in August when a staff member from the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, began integrating Project Homecoming personnel into ICE detention facilities. The goal was to reduce detention times while increasing voluntary departures.

Case managers are now stationed in 40 ICE detention centers, and roughly half of all participants have come from detention facilities, according to the internal data. The strategy has significantly reduced the amount of time participants spend in detention.

Federal officials also point to the financial savings. DHS estimates each self-deportation costs approximately $2,500, in addition to the participant’s stipend, compared with roughly $18,245 for a traditional deportation case. A DHS spokesperson told Axios the agency projects Project Homecoming will save taxpayers about $2.5 billion in removal costs.

The department also credited the CBP Home app, which participants use as part of the process, with increasing efficiency and participation beyond initial expectations. However, the program has drawn criticism from immigration advocates and some people familiar with its early design.

Critics argue that the International Organization for Migration, which briefly partnered with the initiative before stepping away, would have provided more comprehensive assistance to migrants upon their return to their home countries.

One source familiar with Project Homecoming told Axios that the effort eventually became focused almost exclusively on arranging flights rather than helping migrants successfully reintegrate after leaving the United States.

Project Homecoming’s current government contract is expected to exhaust its funding by the end of August. DHS is seeking bids for a new contract, though the agency has not indicated whether the transition could temporarily interrupt the program.