"Santa Claus will send you home": The Trump administration triples voluntary return reward to speed up large-scale deportations.

The Trump administration has announced that if illegal immigrants agree to voluntarily leave the United States by the end of this year, they will receive a $3,000 bonus and have their travel expenses paid by the authorities. This is the latest move by the US government to accelerate mass deportation and reduce enforcement costs. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, undocumented immigrants who apply for voluntary repatriation through the "CBP Home" app will have their travel arrangements and expenses covered by the Department of Homeland Security, and may be exempt from civil fines that could result from overstaying. The $3,000 subsidy amount is three times the amount announced in May of this year ($1,000). This policy is part of the accelerated deportation actions during the holiday season at the end of the year. The Department of Homeland Security warned illegal residents in a tweet on X platform: "Santa Claus is taking you home (GOING HO HO HOME)." DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen emphasized in the statement: "Illegal immigrants should cherish this 'gift' and leave voluntarily, otherwise we will find and arrest them, and they will never be able to return to the US." Nielsen claimed that since January 2025, 1.9 million undocumented immigrants have voluntarily left, with tens of thousands using the CBP Home app. This data has not been independently verified. The app was originally created during the Biden administration to arrange refugee asylum interviews and was later repackaged and completely changed in its purpose by the Trump team. Government officials say the plan is a cost-effective alternative to expensive arrest and deportation actions. Even with an increase in the bonus amount, the government is still able to save expenses - it is estimated that the average cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting one immigrant is about $17,000 per person. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the cost calculation changes after the increase in subsidies. However, Trump advisor Stephen Miller posted on X platform: "Every voluntary repatriation saves taxpayers future benefit costs of up to millions (or more), he did not provide specific calculation basis. There are doubts raised by immigration lawyers and activists about the Trump administration's assertion that "voluntary departures may allow individuals to return legally to the US in the future." Previous reports have indicated that in many cases, individuals who have previously resided illegally in the US may face automatic entry bans lasting several years, and such bans are often difficult to exempt. At the time of the increase in bonuses, the number of involuntary arrests and deportations has not reached the government's initial target of 1 million. According to data from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Trump administration has deported more than 335,000 people since taking office. During the same period, ICE arrested over 285,000 foreign nationals charged with illegal residence or meeting deportation conditions. The government has also taken steps to tighten legal immigration channels. Authorities announced a reevaluation of all refugee cases resettled during the Biden administration and suspended their green card applications, while including "whether they are subject to the president's mass travel ban" as a "significant negative factor" in the review. The Trump administration has expanded its travel ban from the initial 19 countries to over 30 countries.