The Trump Admin’s Self-Deportation Strategy Is Working

The Trump administration said that DHS has issued more than 100,000 civil fines to illegal aliens, equal to $84 billion total, FOX reported. The fines, among other programs, are encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport, which DHS says is far less costly than traditional deportations. 

DHS issues $84B in fines to illegal immigrants under Trump administrationhttps://t.co/NvD1NuPWr5

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 22, 2026

So far, the Trump administration has collected about $1.2 billion in payments from the final removal orders fines, which were announced at the start of the Trump Administration. Illegal aliens who are subject to final removal orders are fined $998 a day for each day they fail to self-deport, and could even have their assets seized by DHS. The fines are forgiven and/or waived when individuals comply with orders. 

The program was built to encourage more self-deportations, as they are far less costly and resource-consuming than traditional deportations. Individuals are encouraged by DHS to use the CBP Home app, which they call “safe,” to voluntarily leave the U.S. in an organized manner, with subsidized travel. According to a January press release, more than 100,000 individuals have used the app, and that number is certainly higher now. The admin also began distributing a $2,600 stipend in January to those who voluntarily deport, and those who do are still eligible to seek legal entry in the future. Individuals who self-deport are also able to keep the money they’ve made while working in the U.S. 

The daily fines are one of the administration’s most effective tools for encouraging mass deportations at the lowest cost to taxpayers. DHS previously reported that of the nearly 3 million deportations in Trump’s first year back in office, DHS estimates that 2.2 million were self-deportations. According to the FOX report, DHS said that as of May 17, the administration had deported nearly 900,000 illegal aliens and arrested more than 900,000 others. 

Those who choose not to self-deport are subject to the steep fines and to traditional deportation, with no chance for re-entry or opportunity to organize departure. The measures are also stopping new illegal immigration, as DHS announced 14 consecutive months of zero releases at the border. 

The Trump administration will continue enforcing measures to encourage self-deportation and ultimately fulfill its closed border agenda.