Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, said that offering incentives for voluntary deportation with legal reentry options is a smart immigration policy. The statement was made on X.
“Very smart to incentivize voluntary deportations — with the promise to apply later as a legal immigrant,” said Cortes, Founder of League of American Workers.
In May 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched Project Homecoming, a voluntary self-deportation initiative. According to DHS, the program offers undocumented migrants $1,000 and free airfare to return to their home countries. The aim is to cut deportation costs by nearly 70% and incentivize individuals to depart legally, preserving their eligibility to reenter the U.S. later. As reported by the department’s press release, the first flight under the program departed from Houston with 64 people headed to Honduras and Colombia.
The initial implementation of Project Homecoming saw 64 migrants voluntarily depart the U.S. from Houston, Texas, to Honduras and Colombia. According to a May 2025 DHS release, all participants received $1,000 and travel assistance while maintaining potential eligibility for lawful U.S. entry in the future. The agency emphasized the program as a humane and cost-saving alternative to forced removals.
From 2022 to 2025, DHS recorded a steady increase in voluntary departures relative to forced deportations. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statistics, 72,177 removals occurred in FY 2022, mostly involuntary. By FY 2024, total removals rose to 142,750 with voluntary departures comprising about 25%. This trend reflects growing reliance on cost-effective self-deportation efforts like Project Homecoming.
Cortes is a conservative strategist and media figure who served as a senior advisor to Donald Trump and supported J.D. Vance’s 2024 campaign. According to the New York Sun, he founded the League of American Workers to advocate for patriotic populism with a strong emphasis on restricting illegal immigration and protecting U.S. labor. He supports policies like Project Homecoming as a legal and economic strategy that aligns with his pro-worker immigration stance.