U.S. Begins ‘Voluntary Deportation’ Flights with Return of 68 Migrants to Honduras, Colombia

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — The United States on Monday launched the first government-funded “voluntary deportation” flight, returning 68 migrants from Honduras and Colombia as part of a new initiative under the Trump administration.

The group included 38 Hondurans, among them 19 children, and 26 Colombians, who disembarked in their home countries carrying $1,000 debit cards provided by the U.S. government. In addition to financial support, the migrants were offered the opportunity to apply for legal entry to the U.S. in the future, according to U.S. officials.

The flight departed Houston, Texas, early Monday and arrived in San Pedro Sula, where Honduran officials greeted the returning nationals. Kevin Antonio Posadas, a Honduran migrant from Tegucigalpa, said he had lived in Houston for three years and had already been considering going home.

“I wanted to see my family and my mom,” said Posadas. “The process was easy. You just apply through the CBP Home app, and in three days you’ve got it. It’s good because you save the cost of the flight if you have the intention of leaving.”

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem encouraged undocumented immigrants to take advantage of the new self-deportation program, warning that those who remain illegally would face fines, arrest, deportation, and a permanent ban on reentry.

“If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” she said in a statement.

In Honduras, Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio García said his government would provide additional aid, including $100 in cash and $200 in credit at a state-run essentials store. He confirmed that four U.S.-born children were among the returnees.

García noted that many migrants expressed concern over the growing hostility toward undocumented individuals in the U.S. and feared going to work. “They told me it was getting harder to live without documents,” he said.

While the Trump administration has vowed to increase deportations significantly, Honduran immigration director Wilson Paz said the numbers have not yet surpassed last year’s. So far in 2025, approximately 13,500 Hondurans have been deported from the U.S., compared to over 15,000 at the same time in 2024.

Paz said he expects a modest increase in applications for voluntary return but not a mass exodus. “Some will apply because their time in the U.S. is up or it’s becoming more difficult to survive,” he said. “Our responsibility is that they return in an orderly manner, and we support them.”