ICE Self-Deportation Program Offer Rises to $3,000 as Program Falters
For many undocumented Latino immigrants, the promise of cash and a ticket home comes with delays, legal risks, and a decade-long ban from returning
Months after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unveiled a voluntary self-deportation program offering undocumented migrants $1,000 and a free ticket out of the United States, the agency has quietly acknowledged a problem: the plan isn’t working.
On Tuesday, ICE announced it would triple the incentive to $3,000, add forgiveness of certain civil fines, and continue covering travel costs for migrants who agree to leave the country on their own. The move suggests growing urgency inside the federal immigration system—and raises new questions about whether money alone can persuade millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latino communities, to abandon their lives in the U.S.
A Policy Adjustment That Signals Struggle
ICE did not frame the increase as a failure. But immigration analysts say the decision points to deportation targets that are falling short.
According to government figures, approximately 1.9 million undocumented immigrants have been deported to date. Even if removals approach six million over a full second Trump administration, that number would still represent less than half of the estimated 14 to 16 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.
“The math simply doesn’t work,” said one immigration policy expert familiar with ICE operations. “You can’t deport your way out of a population this large—especially when the labor, family, and community ties are so deeply rooted.”
Costly Enforcement, Limited Results
ICE operates with a multi-billion-dollar annual budget, funding detention centers, contractors, transportation, and enforcement operations nationwide. Yet internal data and external reporting suggest that increased spending has not translated into proportionally higher removals.
Critics argue that much of the money is absorbed by private detention operators and intermediaries, rather than producing meaningful enforcement outcomes.
The higher self-deportation payment, they say, may be an attempt to reduce costs by shifting enforcement burdens onto migrants themselves.
Promises That Didn’t Reach Migrants
Investigative reporting by The Lens and The Guardian, based on internal documents, reveals significant breakdowns in how the original $1,000 incentive was administered.
In some cases, payments were:
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Delayed for months
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Sent to the wrong individuals
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Issued while migrants were still detained in the U.S., then withdrawn
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Promised upon arrival abroad—but never delivered
Several migrants reported arriving in their home countries with no money, no job prospects, and no clear explanation of why the funds never materialized.
Others later learned they were never eligible, despite having been encouraged to enroll.
The Hidden Legal Consequence: A 10-Year Ban
Immigration attorneys warn that the program’s financial incentives obscure a far more serious consequence—one that disproportionately affects Latino families with long U.S. ties.
Migrants who voluntarily leave the U.S. after more than one year of unlawful presence typically trigger a 10-year ban on re-entry, the same penalty imposed on those who are formally deported.
“Voluntary departure does not mean a clean slate,” the National Immigration Law Center cautions. “For most people, it closes the door to returning legally for a decade—unless a difficult-to-obtain waiver is granted.”
For mixed-status families, that can mean permanent separation from U.S.-citizen children, spouses, or parents.
Why Many Are Choosing to Stay
Despite stepped-up enforcement rhetoric, many undocumented immigrants—particularly within Latino communities—are choosing to remain in the U.S., betting that policy shifts, court rulings, or future administrations may offer relief.
Some see the current moment as temporary. Others say the risks of leaving outweigh the uncertain promise of cash.
“For people who’ve lived here 10, 15, 20 years, $3,000 doesn’t replace a life,” said an immigration advocate who works with families weighing the decision. “It doesn’t replace children, jobs, or community.”
A Program With Narrow Appeal
ICE’s revised offer may attract a limited group—recent arrivals, individuals without family ties, or those already planning to leave. But experts say it is unlikely to meaningfully reduce the undocumented population or resolve the broader immigration stalemate.
Instead, the policy highlights a deeper truth: enforcement incentives alone cannot untangle a system built on decades of political inaction.
For millions of undocumented Latino immigrants, the choice remains stark—leave with uncertainty, or stay and endure it.
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