In a controversial new policy, the Donald Trump administration has announced it will offer $1,000 and cover travel expenses to illegal immigrants in the US who voluntarily self-deport using a newly launched government app.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled the plan on Monday, calling it a “historic opportunity” to reduce the costs and complexities associated with mass deportations.

“Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced a historic opportunity for illegal aliens to receive both financial and travel assistance to facilitate travel back to their home country through the CBP Home App,” the department said in a statement.

According to the policy, immigrants who choose to self-deport via the CBP Home App will be eligible to receive the stipend once their return to their home country is verified.

The DHS estimates that using the app could cut deportation costs by about 70 per cent, reducing the average expense per deportee from $17,121 to a significantly lower amount.

“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

President Trump, during a recent rally in Michigan, touted his immigration enforcement record as part of the most successful first 100 days of any administration in US history.

However, experts have raised concerns about the broader implications of such policies. A Brookings Institution report noted that despite harsh rhetoric, actual deportation numbers remain below targets due to legal, logistical, and diplomatic hurdles.

“The numbers of deportations remain modest, but the chilling effects are potentially severe,” the report noted.

Darrell West, a Senior Fellow at Brookings, added, “Americans worry about immigrants crossing the border illegally, so that has been a good issue for (Trump) politically. But polls show that people don’t like his approach and feel he has been deporting people without any due process.”