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NewsDigital Assets

Trump's Project Homecoming on pace for 200,000 exits as $600 million contract nears a funding cliff

The Department of Homeland Security's voluntary departure program, Project Homecoming, moved approximately 132,000 unauthorized immigrants out of the United States through July 16, with 70,000 more enrolled and on track to leave. The nearly $600 million initiative is on pace to clear 200,000 total departures. Its current government contract runs out of funds by end of August, and DHS is already soliciting bids for a replacement.

By Mateo FuentesDigital Assets DeskJuly 28, 20262 min read
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The Department of Homeland Security's voluntary departure program, Project Homecoming, moved approximately 132,000 unauthorized immigrants out of the United States through July 16, with 70,000 more enrolled and on track to leave. The nearly $600 million initiative is on pace to clear 200,000 total departures. Its current government contract runs out of funds by end of August, and DHS is already soliciting bids for a replacement.

By the numbers: stipend, per-case cost, and projected savings

The program offers free travel and a cash payment to unauthorized immigrants who agree to leave voluntarily. That stipend started at $1,000 and has since risen to $2,600. It was briefly $3,000 last Christmas.

Each self-deportation costs the government approximately $2,500 on top of the stipend, per DHS data. A non-voluntary removal runs about $18,245. DHS projects $2.5 billion in total savings on removal costs from the program.

The program drew roughly 24,000 participants in its first six months. Pace was slow. White House pressure changed that: weekly principal-level calls with Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller pushed DHS officials to accelerate throughput. One source described the demand as wanting "thousands pushed through on a daily basis" when the actual rate was "dozens." Border czar Tom Homan said in May the voluntary departure push was "part of the plan from the very beginning."

Detention channel and the DOGE connection

About half of the program's cases have originated inside ICE detention facilities. That channel opened last August after a DOGE staffer, working to cut the time detained immigrants spent locked up, connected with the Project Homecoming team and began bringing its staff into ICE facilities. Case managers are now embedded at 40 ICE detention sites.

The detention track has compressed average custody time to 17 days, down from the typical 50. Todd Bensman, a former adviser to Homan, said mass deportation and detention bed space are "inextricably tied," and the program has begun freeing up capacity at some facilities.

Contractor Salus runs the operational side. The International Organization for Migration participated last March but is no longer involved. One source familiar with the initiative said IOM's exit reduced the program to a "spreadsheet to buy plane tickets," with less post-departure support for deportees.

What to watch

DHS has not released official statistics confirming the program's figures. The August funding cliff is the immediate threshold. A new contract award is the next definitive event. No public timeline for that award exists.

Related reading

About this story

Filed by the digital assets desk of MarketPR on July 28, 2026. Source: axios.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.

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Key takeaways

Frequently asked

How much money does someone get for leaving through Project Homecoming?

The stipend started at $1,000 and has risen to $2,600, and was briefly $3,000 last Christmas, alongside free travel.

Why did the program speed up after a slow start?

It drew only about 24,000 participants in its first six months, but White House pressure—including weekly principal-level calls with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller—pushed DHS to accelerate throughput.

What happens when the current funding runs out?

The current government contract runs out of funds by the end of August, and DHS is already soliciting bids for a replacement, though no public timeline for a new award exists.

Who runs the program and what changed with post-departure support?

Contractor Salus runs the operational side; the International Organization for Migration participated last March but is no longer involved, which one source said reduced the program to a 'spreadsheet to buy plane tickets' with less post-departure support.

How does the ICE detention channel factor into the program?

About half of the cases originate inside ICE detention facilities, with case managers embedded at 40 ICE sites, cutting average custody time to 17 days from the typical 50 and freeing up detention capacity.