DHS/CBP say the stipend and free flight are available to non‑criminal aliens unlawfully present who register and pass vetting via the CBP Home app. Participants must record an "Intent to Depart" in the app; minors can be included as co‑travelers under an adult. (DHS uses the term "illegal aliens" in the release.)
Step‑by‑step (per CBP): download CBP Home, complete the quick questionnaire (name, DOB, citizenship, contact, selfie), submit an Intent to Depart, pass DHS vetting, CBP/partners arrange travel (CBP estimates departures within ~21 days), verify departure (air/sea confirmed by CBP; land users must verify in‑app 3 miles outside the border and submit photo/location), then receive the exit bonus after arrival (disbursement method varies by country). Family co‑travel and minor registration are handled within the app.
No. DHS says participation can forgive civil "failure to depart" fines but does not promise clearance of immigration bars or criminal records. CBP states a CBP Home departure is not a voluntary‑departure under 8 U.S.C. §1229c and that leaving with a final removal order generally "constitute[s] a self‑removal/execution" of that order — which can carry reentry consequences. Asylum applicants who leave will generally be presumed to have abandoned their claim. Whether the stipend or departure affects future admissibility depends on individual facts (unlawful‑presence bars, prior removals, criminal history) and possible waivers; consult an immigration attorney.
CBP Home says people with pending immigration court cases may participate; DHS will file to dismiss proceedings. It also warns that leaving while an asylum application is pending will generally be presumed to abandon that claim. DHS/CBP guidance does not clearly state whether active TPS beneficiaries are eligible for the stipend; TPS rules generally protect beneficiaries from removal, so whether a TPS holder would be eligible or should participate is unclear — consult counsel.
DHS/CBP do not disclose tax or reporting treatment in the announcement. CBP says exit bonuses are distributed after arrival through implementing partners (method varies by country; no bank account is required; recipients usually collect in their home country). Whether the $2,600 is taxable or reportable under U.S. tax law is not stated by DHS and depends on individual tax/residency status — consult a tax professional or IRS guidance (e.g., Pub. 519 for aliens).
CBP Home states the app uses a "privacy‑conscious design" (collects limited data, no A‑numbers required) and says vetting occurs before deprioritization; it warns participants about official contact methods and what CBP will not request (bank routing, SSNs, passwords). DHS says it is coordinating disbursement with partners. DHS did not publish detailed oversight, data‑sharing, or fraud‑prevention protocols in the release or CBP Home page; specifics (audit, OIG oversight, data retention/systems of records) are not provided there.
DHS cites program figures in its release but does not provide underlying methodology or public source documents for those numbers. The press release and CBP Home page state: 2.2 million voluntary self‑deportations since Jan 2025, nearly 100,000 CBP Home users, 675,000 deportations in Year 1, and an $18,245 per enforced‑deportation cost — but DHS did not attach the calculations, data sources, or cost‑model details in the materials posted. The methodology is therefore not publicly available in the release; a FOIA or DHS/CBP supporting data publication would be needed to verify.