Over 70,000 People Have Self-Deported During Trump Administration, Most After Being Under ICE Detention: Report

More than 70,000 people have self-deported from the U.S. during the Trump administration, most of them after being under ICE detention, according to a new report.

CNN noted that the figure comes from Department of Homeland Security documents. Officials have not publicly released related data from Project Homecoming, which offers up to $2,600 and free one-way tickets to those signing up to the program through the CBP Home app.

The agency claimed that many more have left without going through official channels, but the figures are far from the 2.2 million officials claim have left since the administration began.

"DHS has been consistently clear that those who have used the CBP Home app and utilized Project Homecoming are but a fraction of the those who have voluntarily left the country because illegal aliens know President Trump is enforcing our immigration laws," a DHS spokesperson told the outlet in a statement.

Elsewhere, from Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse showed that over 35,000 immigration court cases have ended in "voluntary departure" in fiscal year 2025. It is not clear how many used the CBP Home app.

According to DHS, the cost of a single enforced deportation exceeds $18,000, while a voluntary departure through the CBP Home app, including the stipend and travel expenses, costs roughly $5,100.

Investigations by ProPublica have also reported that some migrants who attempted to use the program did not receive promised assistance or faced delays. Others said they were encouraged to leave despite not qualifying for benefits or later encountered barriers to reentry, despite DHS statements that participants may remain eligible for legal pathways.

DHS has maintained that the program offers a faster and less expensive alternative to traditional enforcement. The department said participants who use the app may also receive relief from certain civil fines, while warning that those who do not accept the offer could face arrest and deportation.

Originally published on Latin Times