Scoop: First flight leaves U.S. under Trump's $1,000 "self-deport" deal

The Trump administration's first charter flight for dozens of "self-deporting" immigrants took off from Houston early Monday, part of a new program offering them a free trip back home and $1,000 — or else.Why it matters: The self-deportation flights are one of the few incentives for unauthorized immigrants to present themselves to authorities under President Trump's immigration crackdown, which is long on sticks and short on carrots.The self-deportation program was announced in March. Since then, the administration has paid for tickets for some people to return to their home countries on commercial airliners.For those who are unauthorized and either don't turn themselves in or don't agree to self-deport, the alternative is being detained by immigration officials and held — possibly for months — in overcrowded facilities.Zoom in: Monday's flight left Houston about 9:30 a.m. and took 65 people from Honduras and Colombia to their respective home countries, according to a Department of Homeland Security official.To participate in the program, the immigrants logged into the CBP Home App and requested to be voluntarily flown home in return for the free trip and $1,000 after they land, the Homeland Security official said.Zoom out: The program is a small part of fulfilling Trump's campaign-trail promise for mass deportations after a historic number of migrants were allowed into the U.S. under his predecessor, Joe Biden.The administration is aggressively using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1958, with mixed results.The State Department is using AI to monitor social media accounts of foreign students for alleged "pro-Hamas" sympathies, as Axios first reported.And officials are weighing plans to ban some colleges from accepting foreign students if the officials decide the schools have been too soft on immigrant students viewed as supporters of Hamas and other terror groups, as Axios also first reported.The number of deportations of people living in the U.S. is increasing under Trump, but his administration is still lagging behind the Biden administration's for total removal numbers compared to this time last year, according to an analysis of government data. What they're saying: "In principle, [self-deporting] could be a very good option for people," said Michelle Brané, former executive director of the Biden administration's Family Reunification Task Force. But there's a big caveat, she said. The Trump administration's "shock and awe" campaign of immigration enforcement has been effective at scaring people — to the point it may prevent people from using the government-run CBP Home app."If people are not being coerced, are fully informed and if it actually is a safe option that preserves people's rights," Brané said, "it could be a successful program."But the administration hasn't detailed how and when self-deporters could be able to return to the U.S., and critics are skeptical."It's a scam because most people won't be allowed back into the U.S.," said Kerri Talbot, executive director of Immigration Hub, an advocacy group."They don't have the power to change those laws, and those are statutes that will block people from being able to come back."Monday's self-deportation flight was far less controversial than the administration's first effort to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans alleged to be Tren de Aragua gang members. They were sent to a notorious lockup in El Salvador two months ago.A judge ordered the jets to turn around mid-fight but the administration refused, saying the judge's jurisdiction didn't extend to international waters.The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked the administration from using the law to deport more Venezuelans to the El Salvador prison.The administration also is resisting a court order to facilitate the release of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia from that same prison, after his accidental deportation.Other court fights involve the deportations of pro-Palestinian demonstrators Mahmoud Khalil, Moshen Madawi, and Rumeysa Ozturk. Only the former remains incarcerated.The intrigue: Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have stressed that leaving the country voluntarily could eventually lead to a pathway to return to the U.S. legally. Trump has said he wanted to create a system for "great" people to leave and legally return to the U.S.That message also has been part of a multimillion-dollar ad campaign by Noem."If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home," Noem said in a statement to Axios. "If you don't, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never allowed to return. ... Self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way."

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