Trump Pitches New Legal Path for 'Great' Undocumented People Who Self Deport: "We're Going to Give Them Some Money and a Plane Ticket"

President Donald Trump has proposed a self-deportation plan that would provide undocumented immigrants who choose to leave the United States voluntarily with financial assistance and airfare. It would also offer a potential path back to legal status for those the administration deems as "good."

In an interview with Fox Noticias, Trump said the program aims to remove individuals with criminal records while creating a process for others to exit the country and potentially return with government support:

"We're going to give them a stipend, we're going to give them some money and a plane ticket," Trump said. "And then we're going to work with them — if they're good — if we want them back in, we're going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can"

While Trump emphasized the removal of "murderers" as a top priority, he used a softer tone for others, particularly those contributing to the labor force. "We're doing a self-deportation and we're going to make it comfortable for people," he said. "And we're going to work with those people to come back into our country legally." He did not specify what criteria would define someone as "good" or how the return process would function legally.

Trump also acknowledged the plan could help sectors such as hospitality and agriculture, indicating that employers could play a role in supporting the return of workers who self-deport. "We want our great people to stay," he said, adding that helping match workers to employers would be "very soothing" to industries experiencing labor shortages.

The plan was reportedly discussed during a recent Cabinet meeting and, though lacking formal structure or timeline, introduces a conditional pathway to legalization, as Axios reports.

In response to a video question from a long-time undocumented Mexican immigrant who expressed agreement with deporting criminals, Trump said, "This is a guy that we want to keep," adding: "I don't think he's in any danger of [being deported]."