The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this Sunday that around 1.6 million people who were in the country illegally have 'self-deported' in recent months, while another 500,000 have been expelled by immigration authorities. According to DHS, self-deportations correspond to migrants who voluntarily registered to leave the country, often motivated by an official campaign offering a one-time payment of $1,000 and a plane ticket. In contrast, forced deportations were carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol, which intensified their operations in various cities of the country under protocols and operations encouraged by President Donald Trump himself. DHS has actively promoted the voluntary self-deportation program through a national advertising campaign that offers a $1,000 payment and a plane ticket to those who decide to register to leave the country on their own. Although the agency did not specify the total amount allocated to the program, local media estimate that several million dollars have been invested in its promotion. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, stated that the Trump administration 'is on track to break current deportation records'. Cities with large migrant populations and governed by Democratic authorities, such as Chicago, are under massive ICE operations and raids, which have been denounced by human rights organizations and opposition politicians for implementing 'military tactics' against migrants.
