Urging Self-Deportation, US Offers Cash, Flights, Images Of Taj Mahal As Incentives

India-West New Desk

WASHINGTON, DC -The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is promoting a voluntary self-deportation initiative offering undocumented immigrants free flights and a $2,600 payment to leave the country.

The campaign, shared on X, features stylized images of landmarks including India’s Taj Mahal, along with visuals representing China and Colombia, the three countries with significant undocumented populations in the US.

The initiative, known as “Project Homecoming,” was launched in 2025 by the Donald Trump administration.

DHS describes it as “a safe and dignified way for individuals who lack a legal basis to remain in the US to return to their country of origin or another country of legal eligibility,” with federally funded travel and a financial incentive provided upon voluntary and permanent departure.

Promoting the program, DHS said: “You can go home with a fresh start! Receive a FREE flight home and a $2,600 exit bonus when you use CBP Home to self-deport.”

As of 2022, an estimated 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants were living in the United States, making them one of the larger undocumented groups in the country.

In November 2025, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said “1.6 million self-deportations” had taken place since President Trump assumed office, citing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.