OPINION: Soft deportations can ease immigration clashes

It's a story The Associated Press seems hesitant to write about.

It's a first-of-its-kind government assistance program Democrats don't seem to want to tell their core constituents about either.

It's an alternative to ugly clashes between radicalized protesters and federal agents that Mitt Romney was ridiculed for suggesting in a 2012 Republican presidential debate.

It's a solution to living in the shadows in constant fear of being held accountable for violating America's immigration laws.

A senior official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said last week that about 100,000 people living in the U.S. illegally registered between May 2025 and the end of the year to self-deport through a special government app.

The Customs and Border Patrol Home Mobile App has a simple questionnaire and streamlined data collection through which people can voluntarily self-deport and receive cost-free travel, $1,000 "exit bonuses" and have failure to depart fines forgiven. Children can travel with parents and the exit bonuses are even available for those who have been previously deported. That's what I voted for.

In the spirit of the holiday season, the Department of Homeland Security in late December increased the exit bonuses to $3,000, resulting in a spike of registrations, although the bonuses reverted to $1,000 at the start of 2026.

But we haven't heard much about the app available at www.dhs.gov/cbphome other than from scrolling TV chyrons.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told a Washington Times podcaster last week that DHS paid out roughly 100,000 exit bonuses to illegal immigrants last year, most of them $1,000 payments.

"The more deportations we see, the more self-deportations," McGlaughlin told the Times. "It's kind of a virtuous cycle, as far as those in the country illegally are getting the message."

The generous self-deportation program is historic. The federal government has never paid illegal immigrants money to leave, and certainly not to leave on their own timetables.

As a fiscal conservative, I'm not too crazy about having taxpayers fund the illegal immigration nongovernmental organization complex, but consider the alternative: DHS says arresting, detaining and flying out an illegal immigrant costs $17,121 on average. We're already stuck with the air travel costs for involuntary removals.

So why are we hearing so little about the historic program and the available exit bonuses? DHS estimates 2.2 million illegal aliens self-deported last year, and yet less than 5% of them claimed free air travel and bonuses.

Why aren't ads about the self-deportation program being aired nightly during the news, or during NFL playoff games? We've seen DHS ads during NFL games recruiting local police officers to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They got a lot of attention and blowback, but where are the olive branch ads to self-deport?

The 675,000 official deportations ICE put on the board last year come as protesters stormed a Minnesota church last week after apparently growing tired of ramming federal law enforcement agents with vehicles, and harassing, doxing, and impeding them at their own peril, which then dominates news cycles.

The federal government has numerous other soft tools it could potentially use to encourage self-deportations.

For example, with the stoke of an executive pen, the federal government could require housing developers who receive federal money to obtain proof of U.S. citizenship from every tenant before approving a lease. Cellphone carriers could be required to obtain proof of citizenship for every cellular contract as a condition of using the airwaves. Banks could require proof of citizenship for mortgage applications and car loans. Auto insurance companies could be prohibited from issuing policies to noncitizens.

The potential economic leverage tools are numerous because of the federal government's vast overreach into aspects of our daily lives. When it gets to the point that you've got to show a REAL ID to purchase stamps at the post office, the message will really get through.

The alternative for illegal aliens is continuing to hide out with the constant fear of detention in a cellblock with the likes of Kilmar Abrego Garcia or an illegal immigrant gang member.

Democrats can offer illegal aliens the false hope "of a pathway to citizenship," but everyone knows that's not going to happen, not in the next three years anyway. Those subject to deportation shouldn't rely on Democrats or community organizers to bail them out of jail, because they can't. All they can do for them is wave goodbye with good tidings from an airport terminal.

In addition to the peace of mind of self-determination, self-deportation also offers the hope of returning to the United States.

"Once non-criminal illegal aliens submit their intent to depart through the CBP Home Mobile App and pass vetting, they will be temporarily deprioritized by ICE for detention or enforcement action before their scheduled departure," says DHS. "The CBP Home Mobile App allows illegal aliens to plan their return, including having an opportunity to depart in a timely manner — allowing illegal aliens to wrap up work, school, and personal matters and organize their return in an orderly and lawful way."

Giving illegal immigrants financial incentives to self-deport is practical, empowering and generous. Giving them the false hope of citizenship is cruel, exploitative and dishonest.

Every one of the 53,200 “undocumented immigrants” the American Immigration Council estimates live in New Mexico who are concerned about being deported should think about their self-interests and consider voluntary self-deportation.

Doing the right thing comes with a cash bonus, free air travel, time to get their affairs in order, and the possibility of legal admittance into the United States.

Doing the wrong thing means living in the shadows, worrying about getting deported and separated from family members, risking the forfeiture of possessions, and subjection to "bars to reentry" back to the U.S., ranging from three years to life, "even for a short visit,"  says DHS.

DHS needs to do a better job advertising the voluntary self-deportation program. Let's hope to see ads about the generous assistance program frequently in 2026, starting with the halftime show of the Super Bowl and nightly on ABC, NBC, CBS and even CNN.

Jeff Tucker is a Journal columnist and the former Opinion editor. He is also a member of the Journal Editorial Board. He may be emailed at jtucker@abqjournal.com.