Issues and Uncertainties Surrounding DHS's Project Homecoming for Migrants' Voluntary Departure
Project Homecoming, launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in May, offers a $1,000 exit payment and a free flight to migrants opting for voluntary departure. The program is funded by repurposing $250 million from the State Department. However, details about the exact amount spent and the recipients remain unclear.
Many participants have reported not receiving the promised $1,000 payments. Delays, incorrect transfers, or failures to deliver the funds have been common, with some payments only arriving after media inquiries and others being sent to wrong recipients.
The program uses the CBP Home platform and a broad advertising campaign to encourage participation. According to ProPublica, around 25,000 departures have been recorded through CBP Home, while the White House claims 1.6 million self-deportations, a figure criticized as unreliable by experts.
Individual cases highlight the program's issues: Honduran detainee Germán Pineda signed up for voluntary departure on July 25 and was promised the $1,000 payment. However, his wire transfer remained uncollected for over 30 days before being returned, leaving him subject to a five-year reentry ban unless waived.
Pedro Mena, who reached Colombia, encountered misdirected payment information belonging to another person and was ineligible for payment due to a prior removal order. Similarly, Shanna Loulendo, returning to France, was not registered for the program and received no payment upon arrival.
Fredis Castellón-García, an El Salvadoran with a back injury and a long history in the U.S., signed up for the $1,000 departure payment but did not receive it. He was flown back to El Salvador and continues to face difficulties.
Soterex Financial Services LLC managed some of the exit-bonus payments. William Walters, linked to Soterex, is also connected to Salus Worldwide Solutions, which holds a $915 million federal contract associated with deportation services. The relationship between Soterex, Salus, and the payment process is not fully transparent, and some attempts to make contact have been unsuccessful.
