On Monday, the United States initiated its first government-funded flight for what the Trump administration is branding as voluntary deportations.
This significant event saw 68 immigrants returning to their home countries, primarily from Honduras and Colombia.
In the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, a group of 38 Hondurans, which included 19 children, disembarked from a chartered flight.
They were provided with $1,000 debit cards from the U.S. government, along with an invitation to apply for legal entry into the U.S. at a later time.
President Trump has made it clear that he intends to substantially increase the rate of deportations.
However, experts suggest that the self-deportation initiative is likely to attract only a small fraction of migrants who are already contemplating a return to their home countries.
Additionally, recent efforts have included heightened migrant detentions in the U.S. and sending a small group of Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
Among those returning was Kevin Antonio Posadas from Tegucigalpa, who had lived in Houston for three years.
Posadas mentioned he had been thinking about returning to Honduras even before the offer was announced.
“I wanted to see my family and my mom,” he shared, noting that the process of applying for voluntary departure was straightforward.
“You just apply through the CBP Home app and in three days you’ve got it.”
The flight departed from Houston early Monday.
Posadas expressed relief at saving on flight costs since he already intended to leave.
While he did not fear deportation and enjoyed his life in the U.S., he admitted it had been on his mind to go back home.
Eventually, he may consider taking up the offer to apply for legal entry into the United States that accompanies the self-deportation initiative.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem commented on the flight’s significance in a statement.
She urged individuals living in the U.S. illegally to use the CBP Home App for departure control, highlighting the financial support aimed at assisting their return.
“If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return,” she warned.
Among the 68 migrants returning were 26 Colombians, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio García reported that the returning migrants would receive additional support from the Honduran government, which included $100 cash and $200 in store credits at a government-operated establishment providing basic necessities.
Interestingly, some of the migrants who arrived on Monday included four children born in the United States.
García stated that the migrants expressed the challenges they faced while living in the U.S. without the appropriate documentation.
Many felt their circumstances were becoming increasingly hostile and had fears about going to work.
Despite the efforts under the Trump administration, the number of Hondurans deported so far this year remains lower than the previous year’s figures.
So far, approximately 13,500 Hondurans have been deported this year.
In contrast, over 15,000 had been deported by the same time in 2024.
Honduran immigration director Wilson Paz does not expect a significant increase in deportations, although he acknowledges some may continue opting for self-deportation due to their sense that it is time to leave or due to difficulties finding work.
image source from：https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5404343/us-honduras-colombia-voluntary-deportation
