Fact check: How many illegal immigrants have self deported in 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that approximately 1.6 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. during her first 200 days in office ^[1]. Multiple sources confirm this figure, with over 1 million people specifically opting for self-deportation through the CBP Home app ^[2].

The Trump administration implemented Project Homecoming, which offers illegal immigrants a $1,000 stipend and free travel to their home countries if they use the CBP Home app for voluntary departure ^{[3] [2]}. However, more granular data reveals significantly lower participation rates in the early stages of the program - more than 5,000 people had logged their return through CBP Home as of April 9, with the first government-charted voluntary repatriation flight carrying only 64 individuals to Honduras and Colombia on May 19 ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the reliability and verification of these numbers. The Migration Policy Institute notes that "data on the number of people who have self-deported so far are thin or anecdotal" ^[4], raising questions about the accuracy of the 1.6 million figure.

There's a significant discrepancy between the claimed 1.6 million departures and the documented participation in the CBP Home app program. While sources claim over 1 million used the app, other data shows only "thousands" of undocumented migrants have used the CBP Home app ^[5], with specific early figures showing just over 5,000 logged returns by April.

Legal experts and immigration attorneys would benefit from highlighting the risks of self-deportation, as it can result in long-term bars to reentry and lacks guarantees for future legal immigration ^[5]. Conversely, the Trump administration and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem benefit politically from promoting high deportation numbers as evidence of successful immigration enforcement.

The administration also invested $200 million in an international ad campaign to promote self-deportation ^[4], indicating substantial government resources dedicated to encouraging voluntary departures.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question assumes that reliable data on self-deportations exists and is readily available, when multiple sources indicate that "data on the number of people who have self-deported so far are thin or anecdotal" ^{[4] [6]}. This suggests the question may be based on incomplete or potentially inflated government claims.

The 1.6 million figure appears to represent total departures rather than specifically self-deportations, as it includes various forms of removal and departure. The conflation of all departures with voluntary self-deportation could be misleading, especially given the documented low participation rates in the official self-deportation program through the CBP Home app.

Additionally, the timing and verification methods for these departures remain unclear, with sources noting the consequences of not self-deporting include detention and removal ^[7], suggesting some departures may have been involuntary despite being counted in the total figure.