Trump’s Voluntary Deportation Program Is Expanding Nationwide: More Than 132,000 Immigrants Have Already Left

President Donald Trump’s effort to persuade unauthorized immigrants to voluntarily leave the United States is accelerating, with internal government figures showing the initiative is on track to surpass 200,000 departures as the administration intensifies its immigration enforcement agenda.

Internal Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Axios shows about 132,000 immigrants had left the country through Project Homecoming as of July 16. Another 70,000 people have enrolled and are expected to depart, a pace that would push the program beyond 200,000 voluntary exits.

The initiative has become one of the few incentives offered alongside the administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Instead of waiting to be arrested and removed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, participants receive government-funded transportation and a cash payment after returning to their home country.

The incentive originally stood at $1,000 but has since increased to $2,600. During last year’s Christmas season, the payment briefly reached $3,000.

The Trump administration views the program as an important part of its goal of removing one million unauthorized immigrants annually. White House border czar Tom Homan said in May that encouraging immigrants to leave voluntarily was “part of the plan from the very beginning.”

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Project Homecoming launched slowly, helping about 24,000 immigrants leave during its first six months while officials worked through travel documents and transportation logistics. According to Axios, the pace changed after the White House began pressing DHS leaders to significantly increase the number of departures.

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The initiative received another boost after Project Homecoming staff began working directly inside ICE detention centers. Axios reported that a staff member from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, helped integrate case managers into detention facilities to speed up voluntary departures and reduce the time migrants spent in custody.

Case managers are now stationed in 40 ICE detention centers, and roughly half of all Project Homecoming participants have enrolled while detained.

According to ICE data cited by Axios, immigrants who choose the program now spend an average of 17 days in detention before leaving the country, compared with about 50 days under the traditional deportation process.

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