New Delhi: The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Wednesday released a series of posters for “self-deportation”, offering undocumented and illegal migrants an option to leave the country voluntarily.
The US DHS, through its official X handle, wrote, “You can go home with a fresh start! Receive a FREE flight home and a $2,600 exit bonus when you use CBP Home to self-deport.”
The post was accompanied by posters for three countries: India, China, and Colombia.
For India, the department depicted a picture of the Taj Mahal while urging Indian migrants to “go back for free”.
You can go home with a fresh start!
Receive a FREE flight home and a $2,600 exit bonus when you use CBP Home to self-deport: https://t.co/YGo3uuNvrE pic.twitter.com/ZdSBlrJryO
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 17, 2026
According to data released by the US Customs and Border Protection agency in 2025, the number of illegal Indian immigrants declined by 77 percent in the first nine months of President Donald Trump’s second term. In 2023, during the Joe Biden presidency, that number had spiked when the US border patrol encountered nearly 97,000 Indian migrants.
This decline is largely attributed to the US administration’s strict policy on immigration, imposing diplomatic pressure on Mexico, Canada, and Central American countries to restrict such migration, and Washington’s active deportation strategy.
After the rise of MAGA under Trump’s second term, other ethnic communities, including Indians, have also been facing racism and hate campaigns on the internet.
The current post also prompted migrants to apply through the online registration process with Customs and Border Protection by voluntarily registering, providing details, and receiving financial assistance of $2,600. US Customs and Border Protection is a primary federal law enforcement agency under the US DHS, responsible for securing their borders, regulating international trade and collecting import duties.
Also Read: India wants to fit into value chains, not own them. MAGA shouldn’t think it’s China
Self-deportation scheme
The US government, in the second term of President Donald Trump, launched ‘Project Homecoming’ in May 2025 with an aim to incentivize undocumented immigrants or those with expiring status to depart the US voluntarily.
This scheme was created as a safer option for illegal and undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the country without facing any legal consequences. Under this scheme, after voluntary registration, the authorities will track the departure of immigrants.
Simultaneously, the immigrant can also be required to upload details to verify upon exit.
In August last year, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that in her 200 days as secretary, Washington witnessed a sharp decline in the population of illegal immigrants by approximately 1.6 million. “This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services, and better job opportunities for Americans. Thank you, President Trump!” Noem said.
Noem was also responsible for overseeing the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was accused of agent misconduct, abusive detention practices, and aggressive enforcement tactics while arresting alleged illegal immigrants.
As of February 2026, ICE has detained nearly 68,000 illegal immigrants, with the highest concentration in Texas, followed by Louisiana.
Growing hate against Indians
With the rise of Make America Great Again (MAGA), a majority of multi-ethnic groups in the US face growing racism and violence. Indian immigrants are no exceptions. Since 2023, Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization that tracks self-reported incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, has highlighted that hate against the South Asian community is not random.
The organisation recounted instances when hate against Indians saw a massive rise. The first one was when Kamala Harris announced her presidential run, followed by Trump’s return to power, and lastly, when Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral elections in New York.
According to Stop AAPI Hate, Indians face a lot of pressure from MAGA as well due to the renewed political debate over immigration on H-1B visas which provide immigration to high-skilled Indians in the US job market.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
Also Read: Indian-Americans are hating on Indians. They think it will save them from MAGA